


Within Arms Reach

by violetranger



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:28:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 86,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25015480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetranger/pseuds/violetranger
Summary: Ren is shipped out to Tokyo a month earlier than usual. When he arrives he is lucky enough to prevent a certain tragedy from taking place. But how will this decision shape his world?
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 233
Kudos: 635





	1. A Head Start

**March 4th, 20XX**

"Shibuya, you are now arriving in Shibuya." Ren heard over the speakers on the train.

'Can this situation possibly get worse?' He thought to himself. Just last month he was falsely accused of assaulting some man who was trying to force himself onto a woman late at night.

**Around a month ago...**

_'I can't ignore this.' he assured himself as he approached the two. When he came into the man's view he was told to shove it. Obviously he didn't obey and tried to help the woman. When he assisted the woman escape his grasp, the man immediately fell over and injured himself._

_"Damn brat! I'll sue!" the words were burned into his mind, along with the face of the obviously enraged man._

_The cops were called, and the woman ended up betraying him. She told the officers that Ren had injured the man. He was pulled into the cop car and everything after that was a blur._

_He went to court later that month and was sentenced to a year of probation in Tokyo. He was to leave in April._

_Fate had other plans however._

**March 1st, 20XX**

_"I'm sorry honey but me and your father need to go to America in a few days for our jobs." His mother told him._

_Ren knew she wasn't telling the whole truth. His father had remained silent, simply sitting across from them taking a sip of his drink. He never looked at him in the eyes._

_"You're gonna have to leave around a month earlier."_

_'It can't get worse right?' he thought._

_"Unfortunately we couldn't contact the school you'll be attending in time, so you'll be working with the man who's going to be looking after you for around a month before you can start attending."_

_'Of course it could get worse.'_

_Because of all the court troubles and the fact that he didn't want to face anyone in his old school, he had been struggling with his attendance as of late. And after the court made their decision, he was expelled from his previous school. He did want to return to school, but he supposed that he could handle another month without it._

_In the end, he just silently accepted this turn of events. He felt it was best to just obey his parent's orders._

**March 4th, 20XX**

After getting off the train, Ren headed towards the subway station. It was his first time using them so he got pretty lost. He did eventually find the line heading to Yongen-Jaya. When he arrived at the address he was given, he overheard a delivery man mention that Sakura-san was at work.

'It was called Leblanc, right?' he thought as he started walking down the neighborhood.

He noticed plenty of places as he searched. A recycled goods store, grocery store, a seemingly abandoned movie theater, and a quite sketchy looking doctors office.

He finally found it, it was buried in a back alley across from a bathhouse. Taking a nervous gulp as he was about to meet his caretaker for the next year, he decided to head in. Upon his entrance he looked around and was surprised. There wasn't a single patron in sight. The only other person inside was an older man with a pink shirt and a gruff looking exterior. He appeared to be working on a crossword.

"Um, excuse me. Is Sakura-san here?" Ren asked the man.

The man quickly glanced up from his paper.

"...Oh, right. They did say that was today. I take it you're Ren Amamiya right?"

"Uh, yessir." Ren quickly responded.

"Well, I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up. But you're the one, huh?"

Ren remained silent. He really didn't want to dignify that comment.

"Have you been told? A customer and your parents know each other, and- Well, not that that matters. But it was a shock when they asked me to take you in a month earlier than I was supposed to. I got paid extra for it so I guess it worked out. Follow me."

Sojiro had led Ren upstairs to the café attic. It was filled with old furniture and junk and it was covered from head to toe with spider webs.

"This is your room." Sojiro announced.

'There's no way right? He has got to be kidding.' Ren thought to himself.

"I'll at least give you sheets for your bed." He continued. "Hm? You look like you wanna say something."

"It's cluttered." Ren spat out.

'Shit! I shouldn't have said that out loud.' he thought.

"Fine then, it's on you to clean up the rest." Sojiro glared at Ren.

'What a great first impression.' Ren was disappointed in himself.

He always felt like he was pretty impulsive when it came to saying or doing something that he wanted to.

"I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble."

Ren didn't exactly feel like a welcome presence. But it is about what he was expecting.

Sojiro spoke up, "Now then. I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you, right?"

"That's about it yeah." Ren responded.

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"

"Hell no! He fell down on his own. He just wanted me silenced so he tried to pin it on me." Ren exclaimed.

"Well that's certainly not how the court saw it." Sojiro responded. "...And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved."

Ren simply kept nodding his head while listening.

"Well your school enrollment meeting is happening in about a month. The early start on your time here was sudden, so it was unable to be rescheduled. You'll be working in my shop for this month so you get a handle on how things work around here. And by the way, I am in the restaurant business so try not to say anything unnecessary."

Sojiro paused before continuing on.

"Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted."

"A whole year huh?" Ren thought out loud.

"You already knew that." Sojiro grumbled.

"Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie. Your work here starts tomorrow."

"What kind of work will I be doing?" Ren asked.

"Small stuff. Cleaning tables, washing dishes. You just need to keep your head down and stay out of the customer's way."

'That doesn't sound too bad,' Ren believed. 'I guess I could pick up on a few things here and there.'

"Well why don't you start cleaning up and get ready to hit the hay tonight. You certainly don't have any other plans now do you?" Sojiro smirked as he asked Ren the rhetorical question.

Sojiro then headed back downstairs and left Ren to his own devices. He decided to just listen and began to unpack. After looking around the room for a bit he also ended up cleaning some of it. He must have been making a lot of noise as Sojiro returned soon after he finished up.

"Heh, glad you decided to listen. Maybe you'll actually do a good job around here." Sojiro seemed to show a genuine smile for the first time since Ren had arrived.

"Well you should head to bed. I'll be putting you to work first thing tomorrow morning. I'll be heading out now, see ya tomorrow."

As Sojiro left Ren decided to heed his words and head to bed. He could tell he's likely gonna be worked pretty hard over the next month.

**March 5th, 20XX**

Ren headed downstairs and made sure he was ready before opening. Sojiro was already downstairs in the kitchen. A plate of curry sat on the counter in front of him.

"Go ahead, eat up before we open." Sojiro told Ren.

"Curry? For breakfast?" Ren questioned.

"If you don't want it that's fine. Just go ahead and buy your own breakfast." Sojiro retorted.

'A free meal is a free meal I guess.' Ren thought as he sat down and began to dig in.

"It-it's delicious." Is all Ren could muster as he kept piling the curry in.

Sojiro smirked. "Hey I've got an idea. How about as an incentive for you to work hard, I'll teach you to make perfect coffee and curry." Sojiro proposed.

"Am I not gonna be paid for working here?" Ren asked.

"Is staying here rent free not payment enough for you?." Sojiro asked.

"Well I guess that doesn't sound too bad." Ren said. "I guess we have a deal!" Ren reached out his arm to Sojiro as he grabbed and shook it.

"Well it's about time, get back here and get some dishes ready. My morning regulars are gonna start showing up soon."

Ren got up and headed behind the counter as his new life in Tokyo seemed to finally begin.

_________________________________________________

**A week later. March 12th, 20XX**

Around 11 AM that day after all of the morning usuals had left, Sojiro had gotten a call on his cell phone.

"Hey, what's up?"

Ren noticed that he was smiling softly at the voice in the phone. It sounded like a girl, but it wasn't loud enough for him to tell.

"Huh? What do you mean that was the wrong set of chips? Those were the ones you asked me to buy weren't they?" He seemed surprised.

"Right now? You know I'm watching the stor- Hey! I'll let you know that I get enough customers. And how do you know that anyways?"

'Sounds like there's someone else who knows more about how this store operates than me.' Ren thought to himself as he kept listening.

"Well fine, I'll go get them now…" Sojiro said, sounding defeated.

After he hung up he looked straight at Ren.

"Hey kid, I need to head out for a bit. Be sure to keep an eye on the store while I'm out."

"Got it." Ren responded.

"If anything goes missing while I'm out you'll be kicked to the curb you got that?" Sojiro sounded serious. "And if any customers come by… Well, forget it. I doubt anyone will come by while I'm out." Sojiro grabbed his stuff and left for the time being.

Ren relaxed for a while and he soon realized it had been almost an hour and Sojiro still hadn't returned. No customers had come by so at least he didn't have any trou-

Of course, as if right on cue, the bells chimed and a customer entered. It appeared to be another older looking gentleman. Maybe in his 40's Ren had guessed. He had brown hair swept on the side and wore a pair of glasses.

When the man sat down he asked Ren "Hello, is Boss here?"

"Sorry, he had to step out for a bit." Ren quickly responded.

"Ah that's a shame. I was looking forward to speaking with him." The man seemed to already know who Sojiro was. He continued, "So are you a new hire? I don't remember any other employees working here last time."

"Oh yes, I started working here last week." Ren explained.

"Interesting." the man said. "How old are you? You seem to be pretty young to be holding down the store on your own."

"I'm going to be starting my second year in high school soon." Ren stated.

"Oh wow, you're around the same age as my daughters. Though I suppose they're around a year younger."

"Hm" Ren nodded.

"Well, I've been a regular here for a while so I guess I should formally greet you." The man said. "My name is Shinichi Yoshizawa." he gave a smile to Ren.

"I'm Amamiya." Ren answered.

"Well I guess I should head out. I wanted to talk to Boss, but because he wasn't here, I'll just come back another time." He waved at Ren on his way out. "Nice to meet you, Amamiya-san. I'll be sure to stop by soon." and with that he left.

Around 15 minutes later Sojiro had returned.

"Hoo boy, that took forever. At least the store looks alright."

He sighed as he put back on his apron and got back to work.

_________________________________________________

**March 13th, 20XX**

Ren was just leaving a specialty store Sojiro had sent him to, in order to pick up some of his ingredients. While it was an annoying task, he appreciated it somewhat as it allowed him to get used to the area. What he definitely didn't enjoy was having to lug all of it back to Leblanc. As he walked down the sidewalk he noticed two girls get into an argument. One had long red hair and wore glasses, while the other had brown hair tied up into a ponytail. The one with the red hair began to storm off towards the road as the one with the ponytail began to chase after her.

"Sumire!"

"Sumire wait!" she yelled.

Ren realized what was about to happen. He saw one car heading their way as the girl with the red hair wasn't looking where she was going.

Suddenly without a second thought, Ren dropped the ingredients and ran towards the girl. He was praying he would be fast enough to make it in time. As he approached, the brown haired girl tried to entire the road to stop the other one. Ren had pushed her back to stop her from entering the road.

"No!" she yelled

"Sumire look where you're going!"

"SUMIRE!"

Just as the car was about to hit the girl. Ren had jumped and shoved her off the way. The car had impacted his legs and he immediately knew they had broken. As everything started to fade out, Ren saw the two girls immediately run up to him. As soon as he saw their faces he was knocked out cold.

_________________________________________________

Later that day Sojiro received a call from the hospital telling him that he needed to come immediately.

The two girls also let their father know that they had gone to the hospital with the boy who saved their lives.

_________________________________________________

**March 13th, 20XX. Hospital.**

When Shinichi arrived at the hospital he went into the line right away to find out which room his daughters were in. As he got in line, he noticed the person right in front of him.

"Boss is that you?" Shinichi asked as he looked at the man standing before him.

"Oh, Yoshizawa-san. What are you doing here?"

"My daughters told me that they were about to be run over by a car, when a young man pushed them out of the way taking the hit for himself."

Sojiro stood there. He was stunned at what he had just heard.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Sojiro sighed.


	2. A Bedside Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren meets with the two new faces who were with him when he woke up in the hospital.

**March 13th, 20XX - Hospital Room 241**

‘Oh man that hurts. That hurts a lot.’ is all Ren could think as he began to stir awake. The last thing he could remember was jumping in front of the oncoming car. ‘At least I got that girl out of the way.’ he thought. He started to open his eyes, but it took a bit as the room was extremely bright. When he could finally keep them open he immediately noticed a few things. 

The first thing was the source of his pain. He had two casts over both of his legs. 

The second thing he noticed the brown haired girl from before sitting across from the bed. She was still looking at her phone.

And the third and final thing he noticed caused his heart rate monitor to speed up considerably. The red hair girl from before was sitting beside the bed, holding his hand with hers. The red haired girl then noticed he was staring right at her and immediately pulled her arm back.

“Eep!” She shuttered.

“Kasumi, he’s awake!” she told the brunette.

“Oh? Hey you’re finally up! Sumire here hasn’t left your side since he got here.” the brunette said.

‘Sumire and Kasumi huh…’ Ren processed their names as the conversation continued.

“Th-that’s because I didn’t know what else I could do!” Sumire quickly told the other girl

“You saved me… I’m so sorry I caused this for you!” she kept going.

“It’s okay, really. I take it you’re okay then?” Ren asked, still having a groggy voice from his _“nap”_.

“Physically, yes I’m fine. But I can’t get over what I caused you.” she replied.

“Like I said, it’s okay. It was my choice to jump in front of the car.” he told her.

“Well I for one, am thankful for your efforts Mr. Hero.” Kasumi stood up from her chair across the room. 

Ren could grasp the vibe of these two just from how they carried themselves. Kasumi was confident and bold. While Sumire was anxious and meek.

“My name is Ren Amamiya by the way.” He shot back at her.

“Oh we know. The doctors told us when we arrived here.” Kasumi responded.

“Well, because you two seem to know me already, how about you introduce yourselves?” Ren asked.

“Well... I’m Sumire Yoshizawa.” the meek girl answered. “But I guess you already knew that from the conversation from before huh.” she looked downwards.

“Right! And I’m Kasumi Yoshizawa! And we’re gymnast extraordinaires!” she excitedly told the boy.

Ren laughed at her incredible boldness, but immediately caught wind of Sumire’s seemingly disappointed look from Kasumi’s comment.

‘Wait a second…’ Ren thought. ‘Yoshizawa… that’s the name of the guy who came in Leblanc recently!’ he pieced together the coincidental names.

“H-hey-” he was cut off by the door to the room opening up.

In came Shinichi who quickly looked around the room. He noticed his two daughters and immediately gave them both a big hug. Behind him came in Sojiro, with an obviously annoyed look on his face. He came up to the bed and began talking to Ren.

“Boy, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

‘Oh boy, here it comes.’ Ren thought.

“Not even two weeks after you arrive here and you’ve already gone and got yourself thrown into the hospital.” he looked down at Ren with pity on his face.

“Now, now Boss.” Shinichi spoke up. ”He saved my daughter's life today. If I had known what was going to happen today when I stopped by, I certainly would have given him a generous tip.”

Sojiro sighed. “That is true. You did a good deed today kid.” Sojiro gave him a warm smile.

“It’s been quite a while since you talked about them Yoshizawa-san.” Sojiro continued. “Aren’t they in high school now?” he asked.

“Correct!” Shinichi answered. “They’ve just started their first year at Shujin Academy.”

‘Shujin Academy..’ Ren pondered. That name sounded familiar, but he was too tired to really think about it.

Sojiro once again looked stunned

“Well whaddya know. That’s where this guy is starting next month.”

Both the girls had a surprised look on their faces

“Wow it’s almost like fate huh girls?” he jokingly asked his daughters.

The two girls had huge blushes appearing on their faces after he had said that.

“Well, it’s about time to get going you two. Your mother must be worried sick. Why don’t you two say goodbye to Amamiya-san here while I head down to get the car.”

“Hey Boss.” He looked at Sojiro. “Would you mind accompanying me down? There’s a few things I wish to speak with you about.”

Sojiro nodded and told Ren, “Say your goodbyes and get some rest. We’re gonna need you to heal those bones so you can get back to work at the store.”

He then began walking out with Shinichi, leaving the three teens alone in the room.

“So…” Kasumi began. “You’ll be going to Shujin next month?”

Ren simply nodded as she continued.

“That’s wonderful! We can definitely be friends then!” she told him.

She then walked over to Ren and handed her cell phone to him.

“Put in your contact information. We will definitely come and see you while you’re recovering.” she said,

Ren smiled as he put in his information.

‘Huh. My first friend in this town. And all it took was getting hit by a car’. He jokingly thought to himself.

“I’ll let you know when we plan on coming over. It’s at that café that dad likes to visit right?”

Ren nodded confirming her theory.

“Well don't leave me on read!” she jokingly told him as she looked over at her sister.

“Come on Sumire, let’s not make Dad wait too long.”

“R-right” she answered as she stood up.

“U-u-um Kasumi. I’ll be out in a minute. There’s something I want to talk about with him first.”

Kasumi simply shrugged as she left the room to meet with her father.

Sumire sat back down and started to speak to Ren.

“So you’ve already become friends with her I see.” She said looking dejected.

Ren noticed her seemingly upset demeanor before she kept going.

“Can I ask you something? What is it about her that’s so easy to open up to?” she asked him.

Ren was unsure of how to answer this question. The only thing he could come up with in his mind was that she was really straightforward. She took the initiative in their conversation and pushed for what she wanted.

“Forget it, I already know.” she said. “Everyone loves her fun and positive attitude. She always befriends everyone she meets. Everyone even uses me as a stepping stone to get to her. All the people who would talk to me always just wanted to ask about her.” 

Memories of her conversations in school kept flooding into her mind

_“Hey Sumire, how is Kasumi?”_

_“She’s so amazing!”_

_“I wish I had her for a sister…”_

The comments in her memory just made her begin to tear up.

“But I’m no different I suppose. Here I am speaking to the man who saved my life and I just keep talking about her.” she sniffled.

Ren was shaken by her comments. It seems as if she had been feeling like this for a long time.

“Hey, I know I just met you both today and all” he began, “but you two seem like two entirely different people. You both may be twins and share some hobbies, but you aren’t her, and she isn’t you. I think what you should do is try to set yourself apart in your own way. Don’t try to be like Kasumi. You should just try to be the best Sumire Yoshizawa you can be.” He gave her a smile as he finished his tangent.

She sat still, taking in what he had said.

“You’re… right. I do need to try, but I don’t know where to begin. I can’t make friends because I’m too nervous to talk to people without her being there. I just talk on autopilot until she comes and rescues me.”

“I’ll be your friend” he smiles at her.

“A-are you sure? You aren’t just saying that out of obligation are you?”

“For real.” he told her. “I wanna be Sumire’s friend.”

He held her hand with his to assure her that he was serious, causing her to blush a little.

Sumire felt the tears coming on. This time however, they weren’t tears of sadness, or frustration. They were tears of joy.

“Thank you so much Amamiya-san.”

“Hey just call me Ren. We’re friends right?” he winked in her direction causing a small blush to appear on her face.

She giggled, “Alright. Thank you, Ren.”

The two then shared their contact information as she decided to head out. She promised she would call him soon. And with that she took her leave.

Ren remained alone in the room. He checked his phone to see if his parents had texted him, asking if he was okay, but nothing. He wasn’t too upset though, because he now knew he wasn’t alone.

_________________________________________________

While Sumire was walking out, Kasumi pointed out she had a huge grin on her face. She was embarrassed, but she was truly happy. For the first time in a while, she wasn’t just smiling for her sister.

It was a smile for herself. A smile for Sumire.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who have given this work a shot! I really do want to pursue this story and I'm coming up with how I think the best way to approach it will be. Considering how fast this new chapter came out, the next one might take a little longer. Thanks to those who have read and enjoyed the beginning of this story!


	3. A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren has a strange dream. He also begins to get to know one of the twins.

**???**

‘Where am I?’ Ren thought as he woke up.

He wasn’t anywhere he recognized. He was laying upon a very uncomfortable mattress in a small dark room. The walls were blue all over with the exception of one side, ‘Bars?!’ Ren worryingly thought. He quickly sat up to find his legs felt extremely heavy. He looked down to see that he had a ball and chain around his legs. Not only that, but he was wearing very tattered down prisoner clothes. He then heard the sounds of giggling coming from outside of the cell. He looked out to see two very young looking girls wearing warden outfits. They each had an eyepatch on opposite eyes. Their hats had the letters “OYOO” and “XMRN” written in gold on them. Ren decided to stand up and walk over to the end of his cell where he saw another person. A creepy looking old man with a very long nose sitting at a desk across from him. 

“Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room.” the old man said in his unnaturally deep voice.

Ren began to freak out. He started to shake the bars trying to loosen them.

“So you’ve come to, Inmate.” one of the girls said.

“The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream.” the other one told him.

The other, louder, girl then began yelling at him “You’re in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!”

“Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a “contract” may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well.” the nose spoke.

‘A fitting name.” Ren tried joking to lighten his mood.

“I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well.” Igor continued.

‘My life? What is this geezer going on about?’ Ren asked himself.

“What important matters?” he managed to get out.

“Still, this is a surprise…” Igor went on, seemingly ignoring Ren’s question.

“The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such.” Igor said curiously.

‘My heart is a prison? Maybe this is about the sentence put on me.’ Ren pondered.

“You truly are a “prisoner” of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ren barked, continuing to shake the bars.

“Haha, worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be “rehabilitated.” Rehabilitated toward freedom… That is your only means to avoid ruin…”

Ren was seriously scared right now. What was this old man telling him? Was this just a dream? Or a warning?

“You seem to have already begun in making the first steps…” Igor went on. “Forming bonds with allies is an important step towards your freedom.”

“First was the **Hierophant** ,”

Ren suddenly lost control of his thoughts. For a moment all he could think about was his deal with Sojiro about working at the store.

“Followed by **Charity** ,”

Once again only a single thought was in Ren’s mind. This time, it was him agreeing to talk to Kasumi about his injury and school transfer.

“And the final bond you have formed thus far is with **Faith**.”

Ren could only think about his promise to be friends and to be there for Sumire.

“...Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?” Igor asked.

“I’d rather avoid ruin, thank you” Ren answered.

“Then allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

The twins then swiftly turned around to face Ren.

“Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here.”

Caroline then began, “Hmph, try to struggle as hard as you like.”

Justine followed, “The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators… That is, if you remain obedient.”

Igor spoke up. “I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion.”

The twins then flipped back around to face their master.

“Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…”

Suddenly an alarm began to ring around the room.

“Ah yes, one more thing.” Igor spoke. “Your recent injury will certainly prohibit the advancement of your rehabilitation. I shall help alleviate the pain, in order for your journey to progress.”

Caroline then spoke up. “Time’s up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep.”

Ren once again grasped the bars, violently shaking them. Then suddenly his vision faded to black…

**March 17th, 20XX - Hospital Room 241**

Ren suddenly awoke back in his hospital bed. He noticed almost immediately that the pain in his legs had nearly stopped in its entirety. He was able to move them around freely with only a little pain. Sojiro then entered the room, noticing Ren’s movement.

“What the?” he blurted out.

“How the hell are you able to move them around like that? It’s only been a couple days since you got injured!” he asked.

“I’m not really sure. I just woke up this morning and I was able to do this.” He told him.

‘Was that Igor guy in my dreams really telling the truth? Did he really help fix my legs up?’ he asked himself.

Sojiro then told a nearby doctor. The doctor seemed to act like it wasn’t out of the ordinary. 

Like this was normal.

They came by again later to tell Ren that he was going to be released.

“Your legs should be back to their full strength around the beginning of April or so.” the man told him.

Ren and Sojiro were shocked. He made almost a full recovery so fast. It led Ren to believe that his dream might have been the real deal. The pair just had to accept this strange turn of events and decided to head home.

**March 18th, 20XX - Leblanc**

  
  


Later than night, Ren was getting ready to go to sleep when he got a notification on his phone. It was a text in a group chat with him, Kasumi, and Sumire.

Kasumi:  Hey! We heard you got released from the hospital today!

Ren:  That’s right. I’m glad to finally be out of there.

Sumire:  I hope you’re doing better… We haven’t stopped worrying about you since we left.

Ren:  I am doing better, thanks. Although, Sojiro told me not to leave my bed for at least the next day or so.

Kasumi: Then I have an idea! How about we come visit you tomorrow after practice. Does that work for you?

Ren:  Sure, that’s fine with me. I’ve got nothing better to do.

Kasumi:  Sounds great! We’ll be coming over right after practice tomorrow. :D

Sumire:  See you tomorrow, Ren.

Ren:  Alright, see you both then.

_-End of chat-_

Ren was now a little excited to see what tomorrow would have in store for him. He decided to sleep. 

‘I guess tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.’

  
  


**March 19th, 20XX - Shibuya Gymnastics Building**

Kasumi and Sumire had just finished with most of their practice for the day when their coach called them back.

“Good work today you two. Kasumi, your form is perfect as always.” she told them.

“Thank you so much Coach Hiraguchi!” she responded with a smile.

“And Sumire…” Hiraguchi continued. “Your form has improved considerably today! Has something caused this sudden spark recently?” 

Sumire’s mind immediately thought of Ren before she caught the blush forming on her face.

“Uh-umm nothing comes to mind!” she blurted out.

Kasumi smirked in her sister's direction. She could see through her obvious lie.

“Well anyways,” Hiraguchi went on. “Sumire, because you got a lower score today, you need to stay and help me clean up.”

She suddenly felt upset. She was going to head to Ren’s place after this with Kasumi.

“I’ll just wait for you outside.” Kasumi told her.

Sumire shook her head.

“It’s alright, just go on ahead. I know where it is so I can just come over once I’m done.” she told Kasumi.

“Well if you’re okay with it. I’ll go ahead and head over to Leblanc.” Kasumi told her.

Kasumi left the building while Sumire stayed to help her coach clean up. She told her sister it was fine to go visit without her. But was she really telling the truth? She felt a sort of heartache. It was a new feeling and she wasn’t quite sure what it was.

**March 19th, 20XX - Leblanc**

The bells chimed as Kasumi entered the store. She had stopped by the convenience store on her way over. She picked up some snacks and some soup for Ren. Upon her entry she was noticed by Sojiro.

“Hey, little lady.” Sojiro spoke. “You’re here to see the kid right?”

“Yes!” She quickly answered.

“I brought some canned soup for him because I thought it would help him feel better.” She told him. “Would it be alright if I used the kitchen to cook it?”

Sojiro suddenly remembered the stories that Shinichi would tell him about how Kasumi wasn’t too great at cooking.

“Th-that’s quite alright. I’ll cook it up for him. Go ahead and go see him upstairs.” He told her.

  
  


“Thank you so much!” she said as she dropped off the food.

She then headed upstairs and Sojiro began working on the soup.

“Hey Ren!” she exclaimed as she arrived upstairs.

“Hey Kasumi.” he greeted her in return.

He quickly took a glance behind her.

“Where’s Sumire?” he asked her.

“She had to stay behind to help clean up. She’ll be here soon though” she explained.

“Alright, Well how was practice then?”

“It went great!” she told him excitedly. “You know, Sumire has improved a lot after what happened the other day. Did something happen after I left the room?”

‘Not much.” he explained. “She just talked about what happened, and we agreed to be friends.”

“That is much!” she almost shouted. “I know Sumire has struggled socially for a while, so seeing her able to make friends on her own makes me so happy.” she smiled at him.

“So… thanks Ren.” she gave him a warm smile with a little blush.

“It’s really nothing.” he gave her a smile.

The pair then spoke about a variety of different things for a couple minutes before a loud noise was heard.

Sojiro’s voice rang from down below.

“Hey! Food is ready!” he yelled.

“Oh! I’ll go get it.” she told Ren.

She stood up and ran downstairs before Ren could say anything. She quickly returned with a bowl of soup and a spoon.

“Here, I’ll take it.” he told her.

“No! I got it don't worry!” she responded.

‘Wait what does she mean she’s got it, is it-'

His thoughts were cut off by Kasumi shoving the spoon to his face.

‘Oh.’

Ren was feeling a lot of emotions in this moment and wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

“Open up!” she told him.

He decided to just listen to her as he opened his mouth when she began feeding him the soup.

“You know, you're pretty bold Kasumi.” he said with a slight shake in his voice.

“That’s rich coming from the boy who jumped in front of a car last week.” she retorted.

“I guess it is nice to have a cute girl feed me in bed after a tragic injury.” he said with a smirk.

She gave him a huge smile that put him at ease.

**_Charity Confidant - Rank 2_ **

“U-u-uh Ka-ka-sumi?” another shaky voice came from the stairs.

There stood Sumire with the biggest blush that Ren had ever seen on her face. 

‘Uh-oh’ is all Ren could think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided I wanted to focus on both Kasumi and Sumire's relationship with Ren individually, rather than together. So most of their "confidant ranks" will be just with Ren and not with Ren and the other sister.


	4. A Party to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren is invited to a special birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly longer wait on this chapter. I will hopefully be going a little faster soon!

**March 19th, 20XX - Leblanc**

It took Ren and Kasumi a little while to explain what was going on but eventually Sumire understood and calmed down. Ren, still feeling awkward, decided to try and change the subject.

"Well what are you two going to be doing this week?" Ren asked the twins.

"Oh nothing much…" Sumire began before being interrupted by an excited Kasumi.

"We're having our Birthday party this week!" She shouted.

"Uh- um- yes!" Sumire added on. "Our birthday is on the 25th this month." She told him.

"That's great!" He told the pair.

"You know what Ren…" Kasumi began. "You should totally come to the party!"

Sumire's face went bright red after her sister's request.

"Well, if you're feeling better and have nothing more important to do…" Sumire added.

"Of course I don't have anything better to do!" He told them. "It's either that or I have to work here with the old guy." He told them.

"Great!" Kasumi said. "We'll send you the address and time later on."

"Sounds like it'll be fun." He told them.

However, Ren had noticed Sumire had a pretty sour look on her face.

'I wonder what's bothering her.' he thought to himself.

"Well, it's about time we get going." Kasumi told them.

"We'll see you soon!" She told him as she and Sumire left the café.

Ren then decided to tell Sojiro he's gonna need the day off on the 25th. He agreed but looked pretty annoyed. He then decided to head to bed that night.

'I better work hard these next couple days so he doesn't get too mad.' he decided.

**March 24th, 20XX - Leblanc**

Across the past couple days, Ren's injury seemed to get less and less severe. He was able to walk around without a lot of issues. He still struggled when it came to running, but it wasn't much of a concern. After a couple hours of working at the store he got a text on his phone.

Sumire: Hello Ren. Are you busy right now? It's fine if you are…

Ren: It's fine. What's up?

Sumire: Well, you know how our birthday is coming up right? I wanted to buy Kasumi a present, but I don't really want to go by myself. Would you mind accompanying me?

Ren: Sure! I can come as soon as I get off work.

Sumire: Thank you so much! Let's meet at the underground mall then.

Ren: I'll be there.

Sojiro noticed Ren smiling as he was looking at his phone.

"Talking to one of those girls from the other day?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah!" He quickly responded not really wanting to talk about it with him.

"Hey I need to head over to Shibuya in a bit." He told Sojiro.

"Mmm. Fine. But don't stay out so damn late." He answered.

Ren nodded his head in understanding as he went to go get ready.

**March 24th, 20XX - Shibuya Underground Mall**

Ren entered the mall to see Sumire standing by herself beside one of the many stores.

"Hey Sumire." He called out to her.

"WHA!" She yelled in surprise.

"Ren! You scared me! I didn't know you were here yet. You should've told me you were almost here…" she looked down, pouting.

"Heh, sorry about that. Well, do you want to go look around for a gift?" He asked.

She nodded her head in agreement as the pair started walking around all the stores.

They passed by a multitude of shops. First was a glasses store where they both tried on a bunch of pairs. Sumire couldn't help but laugh when Ren put on a pair of gag glasses with a nose that could rival Igor's. Next, they passed by a food store where Ren was shown how much the girl next to him could eat. 

"W-where did all that takoyaki go?" He asked, afraid to know the answer.

"I am a gymnast you know." She retorted. A small blush appearing on her face. "I make sure I don't eat any more than I burn off."

"If you say so…" he thought it would be best to just agree with her.

The pair eventually arrived at a clothes store where Sumire began to look around. After a little she got frustrated and decided to ask Ren.

"What do you think she would want?" She asked.

"I'm not too sure. You know her better than anyone, so I think you're the one who's gonna have to decide." He told her.

'I have to decide huh…' she thought to herself. 'That's a lot harder than it sounds. Usually she's the one who decides everything. Even every year up until this one we bought each other the same present, that she decided on, of course.'

Sumire kept looking around until she spotted something that looked amazing. It was a pink, sleeveless dress that looked very fancy, despite it's moderate price.

"This is it." She told Ren.

"If you're certain." He answered.

She had to think about it for a moment before she opened her mouth again.

"I-I am." She nodded her head.

"Good. Now let's go checkout." He smiled at Sumire.

As they approached the cash register, Sumire saw a very nice blue dress that was white down the middle. She stopped and stared at it for a while before realizing that Ren had already gone over to the register.

"Uh- um, sorry about that." She told him.

"It's alright." He answered.

Ren then looked over at the dress she was staring at before the clerk had asked for the cash. Sumire paid and the pair walked off with the present in tow.

"Thank you for today Ren." Sumire gave a soft smile.

"It was fun!" He told her. "Let's hang out again sometime."

She looked surprised. Most people never really asked her to hang out.

"If you really want too… then definitely!" She happily responded.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 2_ **

"Well, see you tomorrow Sumire." Ren waved goodbye.

Sumire nodded. "See you tomorrow."

For the first time in a long time, Sumire was going into her birthday feeling happy. She knew that she'd be receiving gifts from others tomorrow. But she knew nothing could top what Ren had given her today.

Little did she know how little time that feeling would last for…

**March 25th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Around 5pm is when the guests started to arrive. Most were just family friends and  ~~ Kasumi's  ~~ "both of their" friends from school. While Kasumi was up, talking and walking around trying to greet everyone. Sumire simply sat in the living room, just greeting everyone who spoke to her first. She was waiting for Ren to arrive as other than her sister, she felt like he was really the only one she could open up to. The only other person she could really call "a friend".

5:05pm

'I bet he's almost here, just making his way over.' Sumire thought.

5:15pm

'I wonder why he's late? Are the trains running slow?'

5:30pm

'Where is he? Should I try texting him?'

6pm

Kasumi could tell what was on her sister's mind. She had sat around without talking to anyone, most of the party. She also knew how late Ren was. She hadn't texted him though, as she was sure Sumire already tried.

"Hey Sumire." She spoke in a soft voice as to be sure nobody else heard. "I'm sure something just came up and he couldn't get out of it. I know he wouldn't just ditch us for no reason." 

Sumire just nodded, on the verge of tears. She heard what her sister said, but she didn't really feel it.

'He didn't really mean it when he said he wanted to be friends.' a dark place in her mind thought. 'Of course he wouldn't show up. Who would want to spend their Friday night hanging out with Ms. Boring?'

Kasumi could tell what her sister was thinking and offered that she join them at the table where she and her friends were talking. Sumire simply listening and joined them. 

'Another birthday alone this year…' is all she could think.

**March 25th, 20XX - Yongen-jaya Station**

'Dammit!' is all Ren could think. The trains were cancelled immediately due to another mental shutdown incident.

He had everything ready to be at the party. He wasn't sure what to get for presents so he just got two cards and filled them with ¥5,000 each.

He knew the trains wouldn't be up anytime soon so he ran back to Leblanc as fast as he could. He practically crashed through the door when he asked Sojiro.

"Hey do you think you could give me a ride? The trains were shut down and I have somewhere I need to go!" He pleaded with Sojiro.

"Fine, but you're gonna need to clean the bathrooms every morning and night until you start heading to school." He told him his terms.

"Done, now let's go!" He left and fast as he came in.

'Damn it. I'm sorry, but I'll be there soon.' he thought to himself.

**March 25th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Around 6:30pm the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it!" Kasumi told everyone.

She ran over to the door and opened it revealing a severely out of breath Ren.

"So where have you been?" She asked with a curious but playful tone.

"I'm so sorry! The train in Yongen shut down so I had to get a ride and well-" he cut himself off. "Happy Birthday." He handed Kasumi her card.

She giggled. "Thanks Ren. But you're gonna have to do better than that to make up for the time you missed." She said with a mischievous grin.

He felt embarrassed as he entered quickly realizing that he was the only boy there. All of the others were friends from school.

"Hey where's Sumire?" He asked Kasumi.

She had an upset look on her face. "She went to her room for a bit. Maybe you should go say hi to her." She told him

"Sure thing." He responded.

He then went up the stairs that Kasumi told him led to Sumire's room. He knocked the door before heading a quiet "Come in." Upon entering the room he saw Sumire sitting on her bed. Her eyes were puffy and red.

"Hey Sumire." He greeted her.

"Ren? Where were you?" She asked in an upset voice.

"I'm really, really sorry, they shut down the trains near my place and I had to find another way here." He told her.

"It's alright." She responded. "I was worried though. Worried you didn't come because you didn't want to see me. Worried I'd spend another birthday alone. All of those people down there didn't come for me. They came for Kasumi. Nobody ever even came to see how I was doing."

"Well I'm here now. And of course I wanted to see you. Remember what we promised? I'm gonna be your friend. And no friend would miss another friend's birthday." He told her.

She gave a weak smile back to him before he walked closer. Ren was about to take the card out of his pocket when another idea slipped into his head. He slid it back into his pocket and grabbed Sumire by the hand, causing a major blush on her face.

"Ren! Where are we going?" She asked in a simultaneously worried and excited voice.

"Just come with me. It'll be a surprise." He told her.

The two managed to sneak out without anyone noticing. They went to the station and headed to Shibuya. When they arrived, Ren led her back to the clothes store from yesterday. He went to pick up the blue dress that he saw her stare at yesterday. As he was walking to the register, Sumire stopped him.

"Ren, you don't have to do this. It's alright, you don't need to apologise for anything."

"Who said it was an apology?" He asked. "I brought you here because I saw you wanted this yesterday so… Happy Birthday Sumire!"

He bought the dress and handed it to her. She was so happy she burst into tears. It felt like someone was finally noticing her instead of her sister. Someone really cared for her, and they were willing to go this far just to see her happy.

"Let's go back to the party." Ren told her with a smile on his face.

She gave him a smile in return and the two headed back.

When they got on the train, it was particularly crowded compared to usual. That's when he felt someone's arms fall around him and a face pressed against his back. When he looked around he saw that it was Sumire who latched onto him. He decided it was best not to say anything as the trains traveled back to their stop.

"Sumire, we're here." He told her quietly.

She didn't move.

"Do you wanna get-" he was cut off.

"Not yet…" she murmured.

"Sorry, what did you say?" He didn't hear her quiet tone.

"Not yet!" She said louder.

He simply looked back and smiled at her buried face.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 3_ **

She finally let go when they arrived back at the house. Once again, they managed to get in without anyone noticing. After a little while, everyone gathered around for presents.

Kasumi received a large variety of things from her friends. From a purse, to some snacks, and many other items.

Sumire on the other hand just received plenty of cards with cash in them.

'So glad I ditched that plan.' Ren thought to himself, feeling relieved.

"Time for each other's presents!" Kasumi excitedly told Sumire.

First, Sumire gave Kasumi the dress that she kept in a bag.

"Oh my god it's beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Thank you so much Sumire!" She gave her sister a big hug. "Here! Open mine now!" She said as she handed Sumire her wrapped gift. It was a small box but when she opened it she was shocked. It was a new pair of glasses. She had her old ones for years now and she needed a new pair soon. "Thank you, Kasumi." Is all she could get out before giving her sister a big hug.

"Hm?" Kasumi noticed a bag sitting by Sumire. "Hey what about that one?" She asked her sister.

"Th-that's well uh…" she stuttered with her cheeks getting extremely red.

Kasumi picked it up and opened it revealing the blue dress.

"It's gorgeous…" she told Sumire.

"So who got it for you?" Everyone around the room remained silent before they noticed Ren with his hand raised and a slight shade of pink on his face.

"Wow it's so pretty!" One girl said.

"So are you two going out?" Another asked Sumire.

"Wha? Uh- um- no we're n-" she stuttered before getting pelted with more questions around the room.

Kasumi felt strange. 'Why do I feel upset? I should be happy for her.' she thought.

After some more chatting and having a good dinner, the party was over. Everyone was on their way out as Sojiro let Ren know he was about to arrive. 

"Well, goodnight Kasumi, and happy birthday." Ren said to her.

"Yeah. Thanks for the gift. You know that was one crazy gift you got Sumire." She told him.

"Ha, yeah I suppose so." He laughed it off.

Before he left he saw Sumire standing by the door.

"Goodnight Sumire, I'll see you again soon right?" He asked.

"Definitely." She assured him.

"Great. And have a happy birthday." He told her.

She giggled. "Thanks Ren."

Ren then left for the night and went back to the café with Sojiro.

"So, you ready to get scrubbing tomorrow?" He asked Ren.

'Oh crap, I forgot all about that.' he facepalmed.

Sojiro smirked as the two headed home that night. Ren knew school was starting soon. He had to be ready to face all the rumors about him that were likely going to appear. Even scarier, he knew that the twins were going to learn about them too.


	5. A First Day Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Ren's first day of school goes horribly different from how he even imagined it.

**April 10th, 20XX - Leblanc**

After returning from his enrollment meeting at Shujin, Ren was exhausted. Going in, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be treated like any other student, but that was something else entirely. The principal was extremely rude to him saying that he would be kicked out with any little mistake, not only that but he was lucky to even be attending there in the first place. The teacher he met was also pretty straight to the point. While she wasn't as rude as the principal, she did reaffirm what he had told him. Even Sojiro was surprised at the tone of the meeting. Right now, he just wanted to go to sleep and get this over with tomorrow. Luckily, he received a text that would help lighten his mood.

Sumire: Hello, Ren! I had something I wanted to ask if you.

Ren: Hey Sumire, what's up?

Sumire: Well, tomorrow Kasumi has to go into school early for training, but mine isn't until later this week. I know tomorrow is your first day so I was wondering if you wanted to walk to school together?

Ren: That sounds great. Hopefully I won't get lost that way.

Sumire giggled at Ren's message.

Sumire: Sounds great! I'll meet you tomorrow at the station.

Ren: Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow.

Ren was happy, knowing he won't get lost on his way was a huge weight off his chest. He went to bed with the feeling that maybe, tomorrow wouldn't be so bad.

**April 11th, 20XX - Shibuya Station**

Ren arrived at the station just a few minutes before Sumire showed up. It was the first time he ever saw her in her uniform so it felt a little strange. **  
**

"Hey Sumire. How're you doing this morning?" He asked.

"I'm doing well! I can't put my finger on it but I've been in a much brighter mood lately." She answered.

"That's nothing to complain about! I wish I felt the same way about today…" he trailed off.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him.

"It's nothing you need to worry about Sumire." He gave a smile she could tell was fake. Ren didn't have it in him to tell her what could happen when he arrived.

"Well let's get going." He told her.

"Right!" She said as the two began walking towards the train.

While they were riding the train something caught Sumire's eye. She noticed the emblem on Ren's collar. 

"That's right, you're a second year." She said with a somewhat upset face.

'I guess that means there's no chance he'll be in my class…' she thought.

"I guess I should call you Ren-senpai now huh?" She asked him.

Ren felt embarrassed after she said that, but when he saw her smile after asking, he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

When they got off the train, they began to walk towards the exit when Ren had a realization.

"Oh crap! I didn't bring an umbrella." He thought out loud.

"No way!" Sumire said. "I left mine at home as well."

The pair looked at each other and sighed as they began running in the direction of the school. They got tired after a little while of running and saw somewhere covered up that they decided to take shelter under. When they arrived, Ren noticed someone else was standing there next to them. It was a girl that appeared to be around Ren's age. She had blond hair that was tied into two long pigtails on each side. Sumire noticed he was staring at her and got a little angry as she pulled on Ren's sleeve, making him look back at her. She quickly realized what she had done as she aimed her face right at the ground as it turned a bright red. The blond haired girl then noticed the two and gave them a smile. As she did a car pulled up beside the three and the window rolled down. Inside was an older looking man with curly brown hair and a huge chin.

He seemed to be speaking to the blond girl when he made a request.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." He said.

"Um, sure. Thank you." The blond girl said in a soft voice.

"Yoshizawa-san, do you and your friend need a lift too?" He asked.

Ren and Sumire shook their heads as the other girl got in the car.

Before the window rolled back up, Ren noticed a grim expression on the girl's face.

'I wonder what's going on with her?' He pondered before the car began to drive away.

Soon after it drove off, the footsteps of someone running came behind Ren and Sumire. It was a boy with short blond hair running after the car before stopping in front of the pair.

"Dammit… Screw that pervy teacher." He said in an angry voice.

"...Pervy Teacher?" Ren asked.

The blond boy then turned around and noticed the pair standing behind him.

"Yeah, Kamoshida. That d-bag is a huge perv! He treats the school like it's his own private castle." He told Ren.

"Kamoshida?" Ren asked.

"Yes, he's the P.E. teacher at school." Sumire told him.

"You don't know Kamoshida?" The blond asked.

"He's new here." Sumire told him. "Today is his first day."

"Ohh, I get it." The boy responded. He then looked at his uniform. "Second year huh? I guess we'll be in the same grade then."

"Seems so." Ren gave a smile at the boy.

"Well let's get going. Don't wanna late on my first day." He told them.

The trio began to walk to Shujin as several strange things began to appear. The water turned into a pink-ish color and the closer they got, the darker the sky became. When they finally arrived at the school, they knew something was wrong. 

"What…?" Ren said as he looked at what was right in front of him.

In the school's place stood a massive castle. It still said Shujin Academy out front, but it was definitely not the same building as before.

"Ren-senpai, what's going on?" Sumire asked him.

"I- I don't know." He told her.

"What the hell…" the blond said. "Should we go in?"

"I guess so." Ren answered as the trio walked into the castle together.

When they entered they saw a giant hall with an oddly dressed Kamoshida art piece near the top.

"What is this place?" The blond asked as they looked around the room.

Before Ren could answer two people who looked as if they were dressed in knight costumes approached the group. 

"Dude, what is with that getup?" The blond asked the knights. " I mean, it's an impressive costume and all…"

"I don't think you should get close!" Sumire said in a scared tone.

One of the knights then bashed the boy in the back.

"AHHH!" He yelled. "You're gonna break my bones, dammit!"

Ren noticed as a terrified Sumire grabbed his hand. He had to make sure she stayed safe.

"Get out of here! Run!" The boy yelled.

Before they could another soldier bashed Ren and he fell unconscious.

"REN-SENPAI!" He heard Sumire scream.

'Damn. I messed up.' he thought as everything went dark.

**April 11th, 20XX - ???**

Ren woke up suddenly.

"Sumire?! Where are you?"

There was no answer.

He looked around and saw the boy from earlier sitting at the other side of the cell they found themselves in.

"Hey, are you alright?" The boy asked.

"I'm fine, where did they take Sumire?" He asked quickly.

"I dunno. My guess is to another cell." He answered.

'Damn it. I need to get her to safety.' is the only thought that crossed Ren's mind.

"Hey, what's your name?" The other boy asked.

"Ren Amamiya." He answered.

"Ryuji Sakamoto." The other boy responded.

"I dunno what's going to happen, but at least we can say we knew who each other were before it does."

Ren nodded.

Soon after they heard the guards approach. As they entered they were followed by, 'Kamoshida?' Ren thought.

"Let's see, the penalty for unlawful entry is… Death." Kamoshida told them.

'Death.' Ren thought as he was frozen in fear.

"Where did you take Sumire?" Ren asked in a loud voice.

"She's in another cell. She's fine for now. But I'll go visit her after we're done here…" he said in a creepy voice.

'There's no way he's thinking about doing what I think he is right? No sane person would ever do that.' Ren thought as rage filled his mind.

"Let's start with the punk." Kamoshida said as his soldiers picked up Ryuji and held him against the wall.

"Dammit Ren. Run!" Ryuji told him before getting punched in the gut by Kamoshida.

"Run? What a pathetic friend you are." He told Ren.

"He ain't a friend…" Ryuji said before getting punched again.

"Stop it!" Ren yelled as Kamoshida turned around to face him.

"What? You wanna die as well? I'll take you out as soon as we're done with Sakamoto here." Kamoshida asked.

'I'm sorry Sumire. I don't know what I can do…' he thought before noticing a small blue butterfly before him.

A voice then rang out in his head.

"This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…" the butterfly disappeared after making it's statement.

**"What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch?"**

The voice was echoing in Ren's mind as it began to speak.

**"Are you forsaking him to save yourself?"**

**"Death awaits him if you do nothing."**

**"Were your previous decisions a mistake then?"**

Ren flashed back to protecting the woman from the older man, to his promises with Sojiro and the twins.

"They were not a mistake." He answered.

One of the soldiers then held Ryuji up to the wall as he aimed his sword at his throat.

**"Very well… I had heeded your resolve."**

At that moment, Ren's head swelled with pain. He was gasping for air with how much it hurt. Yelling out over and over.

**"Vow to me."**

**"I am thou, thou art I..."**

**"Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!"**

**"Call upon my name, and release thy rage!"**

Ren yelled out in pain once more as the voice continued.

**"Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"**

Ren then looked up, straight at Kamoshida when he ordered the guards to execute Ryuji.

"That's enough!"

Kamoshida stopped his soldiers as he turned around.

"What was that? You desire to be killed that much? Fine."

Suddenly, Ren was bashed in the face by one of the guards, making his glasses fall off. He was then held against the wall by the soldiers spear's. As a third one raised its sword, Ren felt something stir inside of him. Suddenly a blast of wind burst inside the cell, confusing the soldiers who were ready to strike. As it ended, Ren noticed something was on his face. A mask that was shaped like a bird. It was mostly white, with some black around his eyes. His hands then reached to grab hold, almost seemingly of their own free will. As Ren began to tug, a sharp pain was felt all throughout his body. When he finally managed to get it off, blood was spilled all throughout the cell. Suddenly, blue flames burst all over his body, covering him from head to toe. 

Kamoshida and his guards took a few steps back, terrified of what was happening. The flames then left his body and formed what appeared to be a demon looking creature. It had a face made of flames, with wings and horns attached as well. It appeared to be dressed like a gentleman however, with a red coat and top hat. Ren's appearance also changed. He was wearing a long black trench coat with red gloves. Ren then silently commanded the creature to blow them all away. Kamoshida began to crawl away out of fear while Ryuji voiced his confusion.

"What… What the?" He said, terrified of what's standing before him.

The creature then began to speak.

**"I am the pillager of twilight- Arsène!"**

"What the…" Ryuji said.

**"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."**

"Give me your power." Ren told it.

**"Hmph, very well…"**

"Who the hell are you?" Kamoshida asked. "Guards!" He yelled, summoning them to protect him. "Start by killing that one!" He pointed at Ren.

The guards suddenly transformed into what appeared to be flying jack-o'-lantern like creatures.

"You'll learn the true strength of my men!". Kamoshida yelled.

Ren then began to fight the creatures. He swung the knife in his hand to take out one, while using a spell to kill the other.

"Eiha!" He yelled commanding Arsène to attack.

After killing both of the guards, Ryuji spoke up.

"What… what was that just now?" He asked.

"I'm not sure…" Ren answered. "It's like, a part of me desperately needed to break out, and it formed its own being."

After answering Ryuji's question, Kamoshida spoke up.

"You little…"

Ryuji then right at Kamoshida and tackled him, knocking him to the floor.

"Argh!" He grunted as he fell.

"Ha! You like that you son of a bitch?" Ryuji yelled.

"Quick, grab the key and lock the cell!" Ren commanded.

"Y-you mean this?" Ryuji asked, picking it off the floor next to where Kamoshida was laying.

The two then exited the cell and locked the door.

"Alright, it's locked." Ryuji told Ren.

"Damn you!" Kamoshida yelled.

"What happened to your clothes?" Ryuji asked.

Just then, Ren's clothes transformed back into his school uniform.

"Woah! They went back to normal." Ryuji exclaimed.

Kamoshida began knocking on the cell.

"You bastards!"

"God this is effen nuts…" Ryuji said.

"Anyways, let's scram, we need to find that girl right?"

"Yeah let's move!" Ren told him, leading the way.

The pair ran around the entire prison, searching every cell but with no sign of Sumire anywhere. Ren got increasingly worried as they kept searching. Eventually they found a cell with a strange creature inside.

"Hey Blondie, and frizzy hair, look over here!" It yelled.

It was a cat-like creature with a yellow bandana around its neck.

"What is this thing?" Ryuji asked.

"You two aren't soldiers of this castle right? Let me out!" It pleaded. "Look! The key is right there!"

"We're trying to find someone and get the hell outta here!" Ryuji told it. "I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!"

"I'm locked up here so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out! I can even guide you to the escape!"

Ryuji turned to Ren. "So what should we do?"

"Let's help it out, I have a feeling they'll come in handy." He said grabbing the key and opening the door.

As the cat-thing left the cell it's mood got a lot brighter. "Ah freedom, it feels great!" 

"Great, now help us find the other person and get us the hell outta here you monster cat!" Ryuji commanded.

"I am not a cat! I am Morgana. I can sense someone this way, follow me." Morgana said.

The trio then fled the scene as guards were catching up to them from behind.

As they were about to cross a bridge some guards sprang up from out of nowhere and transformed into those jack-o'-lantern like things.

"Oh shit oh shit!" Ryuji yelled.

"Hmph, you ameteur!" Morgana said as he sprang above the two.

"Hey you can fight right?" He asked Ren as his clothes transformed back into the coat from before.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Ren yelled.

"Glad to see you stick to your guns." Morgana told him. "Come, Zorro!" The cat yelled as he too summoned what appeared to be another being sorta like Ren's.

The two then clashed with the guards. Ren stabbed them with his knife, while Morgana used wind spells to defeat them.

After the fight, Ren's clothes changed back into his uniform.

"Hmm… I guess your persona hasn't stabilized yet." The cat questioned.

"Persona?" Ren asked.

"Those beings we can summon. They're the manifestation of your spirit of rebellion."

"Sounds kinda badass… kinda wish I had one." Ryuji muttered to himself.

"Come on, the person you're looking for is definitely this way." The cat yelled. 

Morgana led the way as Ren and Ryuji followed him. Ren was terrified. After what they did to him and Ryuji, he couldn't bear to think of what could be happening to Sumire.

The trio then arrived outside a large door.

"This is it…" the cat began. "The person you're looking for is definitely behind this door. But are two sure you're read-" he was cut off by Ren bursting the door open as he dashed into the room.

"SUMIRE!" Ren yelled looking around the room.

"Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The cat asked before noticing what was going on.

Sumire was being held up to the wall with chains around her arms. Surrounding her we're a number of soldiers and-

"Kamoshida?" Ryuji spat out.

"What? You two really think I was gonna stay in there? I had some guards come free me after you locked me in." He explained

"What did you do to her?" Ren asked in a commanding voice.

"Nothing yet! Don't worry though. I'll be sure to take "extra" good care of her after you two are slain." He said in an eerie voice.

"You bastard!" Ren yelled. "I'll kill you if you even lay a finger on her!"

"Hmph, take one more step and she'll be killed on the spot." Kamoshida said.

'Dammit. What should I do?' he thought to himself.

"... Ren-senpai?" Sumire asked in a weak voice from across the room.

"I'm so sorry. I put you in danger again. I really can't do anything on my own…" she said.

"That's right…" Kamoshida began. "Now just stay put like the weak little princess you are."

'I really am weak. I always fall behind everyone else. I made life so hard for Kasumi and now Senpai too.' 

"Is that really true?" Ren asked. 

Sumire looked up, confused by Ren's question.

"Sumire, you're one of the strongest people I know. You were so upset after what happened the day we met. But you were able to move past it. You began to take your life into your own hands and that's a really hard task! You can do it Sumire. I know you can." He explained.

"You're right Senpai. I know that even if I fall down, you'll be there to help me back up. I'm tired of everyone fighting for my sake! It's my turn to return the favor!" She yelled.

Suddenly a voice rang out in her head, causing her to scream.

**"Such tenacity."** It began.

**"The prince who once saved your life now finds himself in peril."**

**"So what will you do?"**

**"Save your prince?"**

**"Or cast it into the cinders and continue playing the damsel in distress?"**

Suddenly a mask appeared on Sumire's face, in place of her glasses. It was a dark grey that covered most of her face. It had silver outlines around her eyes that extend to the edges on both sides.

"You already know the answer…" she began. "The weak, insecure Sumire dies today!" She yelled.

**"I am thou. Thou art I. Now let's begin this ball."**

She ripped out of her chains and pulled the mask off, spilling blood all over the room. Flames once again formed over her 

"This is happening again?!" Ryuji asked.

The flames then pulled off revealing Sumire, now in an attire that was somewhat similar to Ren's. She wore a black leotard with a silver flower on her waist. Red gloves covered her hands, while she was wearing thigh-high boots with heels on her legs. She also had her hair tied up by a small back ribbon.

Behind her stood another one of those "Personas". It seemed to be mostly made up on glass, while it was decorated with fancy heart designs all over. Ending with a blue ribbon around its head.

"Let's put an end to this, Cendrillon!"

Ren and Morgana ran to back her up while the guards transformed into demon-like creatures. They fell over by a use of Sumire's bless magic. The trio managed to swiftly defeat them all.

"Damn it!" Kamoshida yelled. "I'll be sure to wipe you out the next time I see you." He said before disappearing into the darkness.

"Sumire! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Ren frantically asked.

"I'm alright Senpai. They didn't do anything." She began before falling over.

"I guess that took a lot out of me." She told them.

"Come on, I'll lead you all to the exit." Morgana explained.

Ren picked up Sumire and bridal-carried her while following Morgana and Ryuji. She had to hide her blush with her hands as she was pretty embarrassed, not only with how he was carrying her, but also how she was dressed. 

"Why do I look like this?" She asked Ren.

"I'm not too sure myself. But we need to get out of here." He explained.

The four then arrived in a small room with seemingly no exits.

"Alright, this is it." Morgana explained.

"Where? Did you trick us you dumb cat?" Ryuji asked.

"I told you I'm not a cat!" Morgana scoffed.

"The ventilation shaft?" Ren asked.

"Exactly, I knew you weren't as dumb as your friend here." He told Ren.

"Alright, let's get out of here." 

The group, minus Morgana, then climbed up and left the castle. After reaching the outside everything seemed to form back to normal as the trio found themselves back in Aoyama. 

"Dude, what was that?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm not sure." Ren pondered as his attention fell towards the police officers looking at them from a little distance away.

"Anyways I think we need to get out of here." He gestured towards them.

"Right… let's go." Ryuji began.

As he walked ahead Sumire stopped and tried to talk to Ren.

"Ren-senpai, I just wanna say thank you for what you said in there." She told him.

"You don't need to thank me, it's the truth. You really are one of the strongest people I know." He gave her a smile.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 4_ **

Sumire smiled back at Ren.

"Right! Now let's get to school!" She told him.

She then grabbed his arm and Ren immediately went pink. The pair ran to catch up with Ryuji and try to make it to school on time.


	6. A Rooftop Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio have a chat after their first day. They make plans to find out what happened to them.

**April 11th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

The trio swiftly arrived at Shujin soon after leaving the strange castle they found themselves in. As they began to walk up the steps, one of the school's admins appeared.

"So where have you three been?" He asked.

"Um- uh- a castle?" Ryuji answered without thinking.

"So you have no intention of giving an honest answer?" The man questioned.

Suddenly, another voice came from behind the admin.

"What's this about a castle?" It said.

The one behind the voice was Kamoshida. However, it appears that it was a different one from in the castle.

"Kamoshida?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning practice with the track team." He told Ryuji.

"Shaddup! It's your fault that-" He was cut off.

"How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!" The admin barked. "...There's not much leeway left for you, you know?"

"He's the one that provoked me!" Ryuji snapped back.

"Do you really wanna be expelled?" The admin kept pushing. "In any case you'll have to explain yourself. Follow me!" 

"What? This is bullshit!" Ryuji barked.

"Come now," Kamoshida began. "I should have been more considerate, too. Let's just say we're both to blame."

"Well… if you say so." The admin told him.

"Still you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late." He spoke to Ryuji.

"Fine…" Ryuji answered.

"By the way," Kamoshida looked over at Ren and Sumire. "You're that new transfer student, correct? Ren Amamiya? And Yoshizawa-san too?. I would've expected an honors student to always be on time." He told them.

'Honors student? She never said anything about that.' Ren thought.

Ryuji then began walking in with the admin, leaving Ren and Sumire with Kamoshida.

"...Have we met somewhere?" Kamoshida asked Ren.

"You picked up that girl in your car earlier." Ren told him.

"That's right… I remember now." He told Ren. "Well, I'll overlook this just for today. I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?" 

Ren simply nodded as Sumire looked at him with worry written all over her face.

'What is Mr. Kamoshida talking about?' She thought as he warned Ren.

"At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami is tired of waiting." He told Ren.

"And Yoshizawa-san, I hope you carefully consider who you hang out with at this school. You certainly wouldn't want to end up like Sakamoto or Amamiya here." He said as he turned around and left.

"Ren-senpai? What is he talking about? Did you do something you aren't telling me?" She asked.

"It's nothing you need to worry about Sumire." He lied. He just couldn't tell her why.

"...Alright. Well, let's talk after school gets out." She told him.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." He told her as the two entered and went their separate ways.

Upon entering the faculty office. Ren was chewed out by Kawakami for showing up so late. He was then taken to his classroom to introduce himself.

"Alright everyone, as I'm sure you all know, we'll be having a new transfer student join us today. Please introduce yourself." Kawakami told everyone.

"I'm Ren Amamiya, nice to meet you all." He said in a somewhat worried tone.

"Well Amamiya-san, you'll be sitting um… Behind Takamaki-san. Will the people sitting around him please share your books with him for today?"

As Ren walked to his desk he heard everyone talk about him. Spreading rumors about how he was violent, and carried a knife with him. When he walked by he noticed the blond girl from before was sitting right in front of him.

"Lies…" she mumbled.

"You're that girl from before." He whispered.

"Hmph." She turned around facing the front again.

**April 11th, 20XX - Shujin Academy, Class 1-A**

Sumire sat down in her seat next to Kasumi.

"Where were you?!" Kasumi whispered to her sister.

"I-I'm sorry!" She told her. "We got lost on the way over and…" she was at a loss. She knew she probably shouldn't tell Kasumi what happened, but she couldn't think of any excuse.

"Well, whatever." Her sister told her. "I won't rat you out to Mom or Dad. Anyways, did you hear those rumors about the new transfer student?" She asked.

"Kasumi… I don't think those rumors are true." She told Kasumi.

"Why's that?" She asked in return.

"Um. I think they're talking about Ren-senpai." She answered.

"Ren? But why him? He would never do anything that people have been saying." Kasumi told Sumire.

As they were chatting, they heard another voice in the room.

"I heard his name is Amamiya." They said.

"Exactly, so don't spread around rumors like that!" She explained. "Mr. Kamoshida was saying some pretty harsh things about him. Telling him he needs to stay out of trouble, or else…" She told Kasumi.

"You're right. But we definitely need to ask him what this is about." Kasumi responded.

The two agreed as they went back to paying attention in class.

**April 11th, 20XX - After School**

When Ren was finished with class he saw Ryuji come up to try and talk to him.

"Hey, let's meet on the roof in half an hour. We need to talk about what happened. Bring that girl too." Ryuji told him.

Ren nodded as Ryuji walked off. Ren felt a buzz in his pocket as he saw he got a text from Kasumi.

Kasumi: Ren, could we meet up on the roof. Me and Sumire have something we need to ask you.

Ren was frightened reading that text. He knew exactly what they were referring to.

Ren: Yeah sure. I'm on my way.

Ren put his phone back in his pocket as he headed up towards the roof.

**April 11th, 20XX - Shujin Academy Rooftop**

Sumire and Kasumi were already up there waiting for him when he arrived.

"Let's get straight to the point." Kasumi began.

'Here it comes…' Ren thought to himself.

"Those rumors about you. They're completely wrong right?" She asked.

Ren was shocked. He was expecting something like an angry fit followed by not speaking to him again. He felt so relieved when she asked that.

"Of course they are, mostly..." Ren explained.

"What do you mean mostly?" Sumire said in a worried tone.

"Well…" Ren explained why he had transferred in the first place. He told them about the false accusations that led him to his current situation.

"That's horrible…" Kasumi said.

"Ren-senpai…" Sumire said, tearing up a little.

"It's alright. I've moved past it." He gave them a weak smile.

"Well don't worry!" Kasumi began. "We'd never abandon you over some silly false rumors!" She proudly proclaimed.

Ren and Sumire giggled a little.

"Thanks Kasumi, it means a lot." He told her.

"Alright well, that about covers what I wanted to speak with you about." Kasumi told Ren. "I think it's about time to head out don't ya think?" She looked over at Sumire.

Sumire then looked at Ren, who shook his head and pointed down.

"Sorry, Kasumi. I think I'm gonna stay here for a little bit. I'll catch up soon though."

"Um, alright." Kasumi responded, a little confused. "Well I'll see you in a bit I guess." Kasumi began to walk away and head downstairs.

'What is going on?' She thought to herself. 'She is constantly trying to hang out with him. I wonder if something is going on? Even then, why do I feel this way about it…'

A few minutes after Kasumi made her leave, Ryuji showed up to the roof.

"Hey," he began. "We need to talk about what happened today."

"I'm curious as well, what was with that other version of Mr. Kamoshida?" Sumire pondered.

"Hey Ren, when we left that place didn't you hear a voice coming from your phone?" Ryuji asked.

"I don't think so…" Ren told him honestly.

"Well I heard one. It sounded like a navigation app thingy… I guess." He explained. "It said something like "Returned to the real world."

'Real world…' Ren thought.

A realization hit him.

"So that version of Kamoshida isn't the real one." Ren threw out his idea.

"That makes sense… He didn't seem to remember what happened when he met us outside the school." Sumire said.

"But I'm not so sure. I felt real, right?" Ryuji answered.

"Anyways, I think we should check it out again." Ryuji told them

"You want to go back?!" Sumire said in surprise.

"Yeah, I wanna know what that place is." Ryuji told her. "Plus, if you and Ren can fight, then we shouldn't be in danger!"

Sumire looked worriedly at Ren, while he just facepalmed.

"Maybe we can find Morgana again." Ren said.

"You mean that cat thing right?" Sumire asked.

"Yeah, but he was kind of a prick…" Ryuji said.

"Maybe so, but he seems to know what that place is about. I bet we could find out more if we got it to help us." Ren told him.

Ryuji sighed. "I guess you're right… Anyways, let's head back tomorrow after school, does that work for everyone?" He asked.

"I have practice in the morning tomorrow so I should be able to come." Sumire said.

"Alright, then let's meet up after school tomorrow and go back in."

The trio agreed as they all went home for the night.

  
  


**April 12th, 20XX - Shibuya Station**

Ren approached the subway on his way to school as he noticed a certain ponytail in front of him.

"Isn't that her?" One student whispered around them.

"That's that honors transfer student right?"

"Why's she so thin and pretty? I have my hair up in a ponytail too you know…" 

"What's that have to do with being thin?"

The conversation ended with the train's arrival. When they entered, Kasumi found a seat and sat down, while Ren stood somewhat near her, she still hadn't noticed him.

"Here, have my seat." She stood offering her seat to the elderly woman standing next to her.

"Why thank you!" She responded. "How sweet of you." 

As the woman approached the seat, another man quickly took the slot.

"Wow what speed!" Kasumi said.

"Umm, excuse me, that seat was actually for this lady…" She began.

Soon after she finished, the man was loudly snoring, signifying that he fell asleep.

Ren decided to say something.

"Want me to wake him up?" Ren asked.

Kasumi gasped in surprise.

"Ren! You were here the whole time and didn't say anything?!" She looked at Ren with a pouty face.

"Sorry," he laughed. "I didn't want to interrupt your moment of kindness." Ren looked over at the elderly woman.

Kasumi remembered what was going on around them as she turned back to the elderly lady.

"I'm so sorry about that." She said.

"It's alright dearie, meeting you and your boyfriend here was nice." She told them.

Both Ren and Kasumi's faces lit up.

Kasumi decided to change the subject.

"Well, at least allow US to carry your bags." She said as she looked back at Ren with a smirk on her face.

Ren sighed as Kasumi and him held the woman's bags until they got to their stop.

They handed them back and said goodbye as the two left the train together.

"Thanks for your help earlier." Kasumi told Ren.

"For helping carry the woman's bags? That was more you than me." He told her.

"I meant for helping stand up to that guy earlier. Even if nothing happened. It was nice that you were willing to stand up for me…" she smiled softly at him.

**_Charity Confidant - Rank 3_ **

"You would do the same for me right? Friends gotta help friends out right?" Ren said.

"Friends huh…" she spoke to herself.

"Like you and Sumire?" She spat out.

'Crap! I didn't mean to say that out loud! Stupid Kasumi!' She internally screamed.

"Yeah… what about it?" He asked.

"It's nothing. Come on, let's head to school." She said leading the way as the two kept chatting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to skim over stuff that I just don't feel add to the fic. For example, the second night in the Velvet Room, or Sojiro chewing out Ren for being late.


	7. A Pirate's Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio return to the palace, only for another awakening to occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is definitely longer than most probably will be. But I really couldn't think of a place where it felt right to slice it in half so big beefy chapter time!

**April 12th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

The day had gone by fairly quickly for Ren. Nothing of note really happened in class, aside from being called on by Mr. Ushimaru to answer a question. Once the bell rang, he got up from his seat and left the room. He promised he was going to meet up with Ryuji and Sumire to go back to the castle. After leaving the room, another thing caught his attention.

The blond girl who sat in front of him was talking with Kamoshida. 'Or rather, he was talking to her…' Ren thought. 

He didn't listen into their conversation, but he understood how uncomfortable he was making her.

'That guy really is a creep, but what can we do about it? Maybe we can learn something today.' He thought as he left to meet back with Ryuji and Sumire.

**April 12th, 20XX - Shujin Gates**

"Yo." Ryuji greeted Ren as he arrived. Sumire followed after Ren and Ryuji.

"Let's start by trying to retrace our steps from yesterday." He told the others as they left and went back around.

Nothing. The school was still there.

"Ren-senpai, remember yesterday when Sakamoto-senpai mentioned that navigation app?"

Ren nodded his head as he pulled out his phone. Ryuji however, was focused on the wrong thing.

"I just noticed you're callin' him by his first name. You two close or something?" He asked Sumire.

"Wha-huh? N-no not exactly…" She said while looking away to hide the blush on her face.

Ren simply smirked as he opened up the strange app he didn't remember installing on his phone.

When he opened it, he noticed a tab that was labeled "History". Upon opening it he saw one listing.

_ Kamoshida's Palace _

_ Keywords: _

_ Shujin _

_ Pervert _

_ Castle _

Ren pressed the button and the three began to notice as the world around them changed. They realized they were no longer outside the school and instead were outside the castle. Ren and Sumire also noticed that they returned to their strange clothes from before.

"Man, this still doesn't feel real." Ryuji said as he glanced over at the castle. He then looked back over at the others and saw their change in appearance.

"What the hell?! This makes no effen sense at all…" He said as they noticed a small black figure approach them.

"Stop making a commotion." It said as the three then realized that it was Morgana who was in front of them.

"It's that strange creature…" Sumire said.

"The shadows started acting up, so I came out here to check out what could be causing it." Morgana stated. "...To think you guys would actually come back when you barely escaped last time."

"What is this place? Is it the school?" Ryuji asked it.

"That's right." Morgana answered.

"But it's a castle!" Ryuji refuted.

"This castle is the school! But only to this castle's ruler."

"You mean this is how Kamoshida sees the school?" Ren interjected.

"That's right frizzy-hair. You catch on pretty quick you know. This is his distorted view of the school."

"Mr. Kamoshida… Distorted…" Sumire mumbled.

"Explain it in a way that makes sense dammit!" Ryuji shouted.

"I shouldn't have expected a moron like you to get it…" Morgana said in a disappointed tone.

"What did you say?!" Ryuji got angry before they were cut off by a shriek coming from the castle.

Sumire grabbed Ren's arm and was trembling, while Ryuji had a terrified look on his face.

"W-what was that?" He asked.

"It must be the slaves held captive here." Morgana told them.

"He keeps slaves? How despicable…" Sumire said in a quiet voice.

"This can't be real. No way." Ryuji said. "I guess it has to be… We saw other guys held captive here yesterday too, and they looked like they're from our school." 

"That's just how it is here. He captures and tortures them for fun. After you three escaped yesterday, it must have put him in a bad mood." Morgana explained.

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji yelled, unable to control his temper any more.

He slammed his body against the door and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You hear me Kamoshida?!" He screamed.

"Doing that isn't gonna open the door ya know?" Morgana told him.

"Hey Monamona!" Ryuji said.

"It's Morgana." The cat corrected him.

"Can you take us to see where those voices are coming from?" Ryuji asked.

"Are you sure? We could run into shadows or even Kamoshida if we aren't careful." He asked. "I guess I could do it… but only if frizzy hair over here comes too."

"Why me?" Ren asked.

"I just want a better look at your powers. Even if you don't agree, I bet the ape over here will go in on his own. So, what do you say?" The cat asked.

The cat recalled a strange feeling about Ren. Like something was telling him to stay with him.

"I guess I should… Sumire, are you willing to come too?" He asked.

She took a big gulp as she nodded her head and began. "There's no way I'd let you go somewhere as dangerous as that place without me to help you out. I made a promise to fight for myself now. That includes protecting the things I care about." She said.

Ren went a little pink at that last part, but was happy to see her come into her own.

"Alrighty, lead the way Morgana. Oh wait, we never told you our names." He realized they had forgotten to introduce themselves to him.

Morgana pointed at Sumire. "I already got Sumire's because of how much you were yelling about it yesterday."

Sumire went red after hearing that.

"Well, I'm Ren Amamiya." Ren told him.

"And I'm Ryuji Sakamoto." Ryuji said.

"Alright, Ren, Ryuji, and Sumire. Let's head in." The cat commanded as the group followed his lead.

Morgana led them down a path that went to the prison area they were at yesterday. Upon encountering a shadow, he also began to instruct Ren and Sumire on how to fight using their Personas. Ren's Arsène specialized in Curse magic, while Sumire's Cendrillon specialized in Bless magic. While Morgana could only use wind and healing magic, he did his best to teach them about how different shadows are weak against certain types of skills.

Soon, they were about to be spotted by a large group of shadows. Morgana instructed them to enter a special room.

"What's up with this place?" Ryuji asked.

"It seems like it flashes between a classroom and part of this castle." Sumire said.

"It's a safe room. If a ruler has less influence over a place in the real world counterpart of their palace, it'll have a weaker cognition in here. This makes it so shadows don't realize that this place exists." Morgana explained.

"I guess it does make sense that Kamoshida is limited in his control over the actual classrooms." Ren said.

"Right. We can wait in here until all the guards outside have moved on." Morgana said.

"But what do you mean by cognition?" Sumire asked Morgana.

"Good question, this whole castle is a place generated by the ruler's, in this case Kamoshida's, cognition. It's how he sees the school in that messed up head of his. I guess you could say it's a place where their distorted cognition has materialized. I call these places, palaces." Morgana explained.

"I think I get it." Ren said as Sumire nodded.

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"You must really hate that Kamoshida guy." Morgana said in response to Ryuji's outburst.

"Hate, doesn't even cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole's fault!" Ryuji began to shout.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but you need to keep your emotions in check."

Morgana paused.

"You two are curious about your outfits aren't you?"

They both nodded as Ryuji said he was curious as well.

"That's also because of this world. Anything can be distorted by how a ruler sees it in this palace. The school became a castle after all." It continued. "In order to prevent such distortions, one must have a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of what a "rebel" looks like to you. Take you Ren, you seem to have the whole "gentlemanly thief" vibe. And as for Sumire… well actually I'm not really sure what her's is."

"It looks pretty similar to Ren's." Ryuji said.

"Oh really? How funny, what a coincidence!" Sumire spat out quickly with a fake smile on her face.

They could all tell she wasn't being honest.

"What about you Morgana?" Sumire said, trying to change the subject.

"I'm a human. An honest-to-god human." He told them.

"No, you're obviously a cat!" Ryuji replied.

"This is… well, because I lost my true form… I think." He tried explaining.

"You think?" Ren and Ryuji said simultaneously.

"But, I do know how to regain my true form. It's the reason I'm here in the first place. I was on an investigation when I got caught. Besides, I've been tortured by Kamoshida too! I'm gonna make him pay for sure!" Morgana exclaimed.

"This is nuts…" Ryuji muttered.

"Well anyways, it's about time we get moving again. I'll be counting on you two's skills this time. Got it rookies?" 

Ren nodded while Sumire seemed to give a salute? Ren wasn't really sure. 

"Hey, I picked this up yesterday, I thought it might help sooo…" Ryuji said as he took something out of his pocket.

"A gun?!" Sumire freaked out.

"Relax! It's just a model gun, so it just makes sounds." Ryuji explained.

"That's a toy!" Morgana barked.

"But it looks totally real! It'll at least fake 'em out." Ryuji said, not wanting to feel like he wasted his money. "Oh and here's some medicine too." He said as he handed both to Ren.

"Alright, well if you're ready to go, let's get moving." 

The trio then left the room and continued exploring the palace. When they came across another enemy, Morgana began teaching Ren how to use the gun. What happened next, they definitely didn't expect. Sumire somehow found one in her person. They supposed it wasn't a surprise, considering their awakening to their Personas already gave her a sword and Ren and knife.

They kept going until they came across a room with a lot of Shujin students located in it. The room was filled with terrified screams of agony and other unsightly things. Nobody was able to use the camera on their phone to gather evidence. So Ryuji decided to remember their faces for later.

As they were making their leave, they ran into the last person they wanted to see while running through the main hall.

"...You knaves again?" Kamoshida asked in an annoyed tone. "To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!"

"The school ain't your castle!" Ryuji yelled back. I've memorized their faces real good. You're going down!"

"It seems it's true when they say "Barking dogs seldom bite. How far the star of the track team has fallen."

"They hell are you gettin' at?!" Ryuji barked.

"I speak of the "Track Traitor" who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams! Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under by your… selfish act."

"Track Traitor?" Ren asked.

"What a surprise, you're accompanying him without knowing anything at all! He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he's still as carefree as ever." Kamoshida kept going.

"That's not true!" Ryuji interrupted him.

"What a tragedy. You all blindly trusted this fool, and now he's led you right to your deaths. Hurry up and dispose of them! I can't stand their stenches." He commanded.

The guards then transformed into Bicorn as Morgana, Ren, and Sumire ran up to fight them.

"Ryuji, move!" Morgana shouted.

"Ngh, we're surrounded." Morgana said in a worried tone.

The trio began to try and fight then off before Morgana was hit and fell over. 

"Morgana-senpai!" Sumire shouted as she ran over to check on him.

"Sumire! Look out!" Ren yelled as he lept in front of her, taking the hit from a Bicorn. He fell, and was also unable to get back up.

"REN-SENPAI!" Sumire screeched as a third Bicorn hit her, causing her to fall over too.

The three were then pinned down by the feet of the guards.

'Damn it…' Ren thought as he tried to figure out a way out of this.

"I bet you just came here on a whim and ended up like this huh?" Kamoshida said as he stood on Morgana.

"No…" Ryuji muttered.

"What a worthless piece of trash. Getting emotional so quickly… How dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, do you not remember my kindness in supervising the track practice?" He asked.

"That wasn't no practice, it was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!" Ryuji yelled.

"It was nothing but an eyesore. The only one who needs to achieve results is me! That coach who got fired was helpless too. Had he not approached me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star runner's leg."

"What?" Ryuji asked, realizing what Kamoshida was saying.

"Do you need me to break your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!" Kamoshida said as he laughed maniacally.

"Dammit. Am I gonna lose again?" Ryuji asked himself. "Not only can I not run anymore… But the track team's gone too 'cause of this asshole!" 

"So, that's why…" Morgana muttered.

"Sakamoto-senpai…" Sumire whispered.

"Once these three are dealt with, you're next." Kamoshida said as he began to laugh again.

"Ryuji! Don't let him win!" Ren shouted.

Sumire thought, 'Just like he was with me, he really cares about others…'

"... You're right." Ryuji began. "Everything that was important to me was taken by him. And I'll never get 'em back!"

"Stay there and watch…" Kamoshida said "Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you." 

Ryuji stood.

"No… that's what you are…"

"All you think about is using people… You're the real scumbag Kamoshida!"

Ryuji began walking towards the king.

"What're you doing?! Silence him!" Kamoshida yelled.

Ryuji got close and pointed at Kamoshida.

"Stop looking down on me, WITH THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!"

Suddenly, a voice began ringing in Ryuji's head.

**"You made me wait quite a while."**

Ryuji felt a sudden shock of pain in his head as he grabbed his forehead and fell to his knees.

**"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact."**

**"Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc?"**

**"The "other you" who exists within desires it thus…"**

**"I am thou, thou art I…"**

**"There is no turning back, the skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"**

Ryuji was able to face upright again, this time, sporting a mask that appeared as a skull over his face.

"Hmph, what can you do? Cower in fear and watch!" A guard asked as he raised his sword to slice at Ren's throat.

"REN-SENPAI NO!" Sumire screamed as the guard struggled to keep her pinned down.

They were interrupted by the sounds of Ryuji's shouts as he removed the mask from his face, spilling blood all over the hall. Like before, blue flames engulfed him as the winds pushed the guards back from their holds over the others.

The flames dissolved to reveal Ryuji, standing in his new attire. He was wearing punk clothes, yellow gloves, and a torn-up, red tie around his neck. Behind him stood his Persona. It took the shape of a skeleton pirate, riding a ship. Ryuji, feeling the power surging within him, looked up and glared at Kamoshida.

"Ugh, this one as well?" Kamoshida asked.

"Right on… Wassup Persona? This effen' rocks! Now that I got this power, it's time for some payback!" Ryuji said with a powerful tone of voice.

As he was talking, Ren went to pick up Sumire, as they and Morgana went to back up Ryuji.

"Yo, I'm ready. Bring it!" Ryuji yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Ngh, don't mock me you brat!" The guard transformed into a large knight on a horse.

"Blast 'em away… Captain Kidd!" Ryuji yelled out his Persona's name.

The team of four then fought off the guards that gathered to fight them. It helped that most of them seemed to be weak to electric attacks, which was what Captain Kidd specialized in.

After the battle Ryuji was seriously worn out. After trying to mock Kamoshida a little, someone came out and stood next to him.

"Wha- Takamaki!?" Ryuji exclaimed.

'It's that girl from before, the one that sits in front of me in class.' Ren remembered when he'd seen the girl.

"Ren-senpai, isn't that the one who got in the car with him?" Sumire asked.

Ren nodded in her direction as he noticed Morgana was about to say something.

"What a beautiful and meow-velous girl!" He yelled.

The one who appeared to be Takamaki then began to cling to Kamoshida, touching him all over.

"What's going on?" Ryuji asked.

"Something seems off…" Ren said.

'How indecent!' Sumire thought.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, but, why is she even here?" Ryuji asked.

Kamoshida then began to touch her face.

"Hey!" Ryuji yelled. "Let go of her you perv!"

"How many times must I tell you before you understand?" Kamoshida began. "This is MY castle- a place in which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me. That is, everyone except slow-witted thieves like you."

"Takamaki! Say something!" Ryuji yelled.

"Call down Ryuji. It seems that girl isn't the real one. She's the same as those slaves- a being made from Kamoshida's cognition of her!"

As he finished, Kamoshida snapped his fingers and more guards appeared.

"We're outnumbered, come on. Let's scram before we get surrounded." Morgana said, leading the group outside.

The three said their goodbyes to Morgana as they exited the metaverse for that day.

After resting for a minute, the group had a chat.

"Oh! I'm so sorry guys! I have to go. My dad's texting me, asking where I am. Sorry! I'll see you tomorrow, Ren-senpai." She said as she took off.

Ryuji then decided to talk to Ren.

"Hey, so about those rumors. I'm pretty sure Kamoshida is the one who spread them."

"What makes you think that?" Ren asked.

"No one besides a teacher could've leaked them that fast. And… it wouldn't be the first time he did something like that." Ryuji sighed. "Listen, I'm not sure what's going on with that castle and shit, but I can't just leave things where they are. So I wanted to ask, will you help me try and take down Kamoshida? You've seen first hand what he's done. He needs to go." Ryuji said with a serious tone of voice.

Ren nodded. "After seeing all that, there's no way I can turn a blind eye. I'll work with you on this."

"Awesome! Let's start tomorrow after the volleyball rally. We can ask some team members there about it."

"Sounds like a plan."

**_Chariot Confidant - Rank 1_ **

"Hey are you hungry? Let's go grab a bite to eat. You've gotta tell me about your past." Ryuji invited him.

Ren nodded as the two left to go eat. After hanging out and exchanging contact information, the pair headed their separate ways. 

**April 12th, 20XX - Leblanc**

After arriving back at Leblanc, Ren had a chat with Sojiro about where he was and the new friend he made. After a while, he went upstairs and decided to go sleep for the day. He had a big day ahead of him tomorrow and he needed to make sure he was mentally prepared to confront the victims of Kamoshida.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the start of Ryuji's confidant in this chapter, I don't think I'll be going in to it. Ren definitely does it in this "canon" (I guess?) along with all the other confidants. But I just don't want to focus on them. The obvious exceptions being Sumire and Kasumi, who's confidants and relationship with Ren are a major focus.


	8. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Ryuji start to plan their way to take down Kamoshida.

**April 13th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

Soon after school began for the day, Ms. Kawakami announced that the students would need to go change into their P.E. clothes and head to the gym. Ren obeyed as he was ready to enact the plan he and Ryuji had made the day before. The students were gathered all over the gym to watch the "Students vs. Teachers" match. Upon entering the gym, Ren heard someone call his name.

"Hey Ren! Come sit over here!" The voice shouted so loud, Ren was certain everyone in the gym could hear.

He then looked over to see that it was coming from Kasumi, who was standing over on the bleachers. She was standing up and waving frantically in his direction. Sitting next to her was Sumire, who simply sat and waved at him with an obviously embarrassed smile on her face.

Ren didn't want this to continue on, so he rushed over to appease the bold kohai.

As he approached, he heard some of the other students mumble about them.

_ "Did you see that?" _

_ "Looks like the honors students are friends with the criminal." _

_ "Do you think they know what he's done?" _

_ "I bet blackmail is involved…" _

Ren tried to ignore them as he went and sat by the pair.

"Hello Senpai!" Sumire greeted him.

"Hey Sumire." Ren said in a calm voice.

"Senpai…?" Kasumi asked as she had a realization. "Oh that's right! You're a second year! Well, I hope you don't mind if I just keep calling you Ren. I mean, we're friends and all." Kasumi said with a satisfied look in her face.

Sumire looked as if she was about to say something, but decided to keep it to herself.

"That's fine with me. I don't really care what you call me, it's better than what else I've been given around here…" He mumbled as he glared at the students around the gym.

"You shouldn't listen to them, Senpai." Sumire told him with a concerned voice.

"Yeah! I mean, we're your friends and we know you're innocent. That's what really matters isn't it?" Kasumi asked.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, you two." Ren said as he gave them a smile and received ones from each of them in return.

"Hey man!" Another voice came from behind him.

Ren turned around to see Ryuji, as he sat down on his left.

"Howzit going man?" Ryuji asked Ren.

"I'm fine, thanks Ryuji." He said in an embarrassed, yet relaxed tone.

"Umm, Ren who's this?" Kasumi asked.

"This is Ryuji Sakamoto. He's a friend. Sorta." Ren answered.

She just nodded as Sumire tried to look away as if she didn't know him.

Ryuji began to whisper to Ren.

"Have you told Yoshizawa about the plan?" He asked.

"Not yet, I didn't wanna make her feel as if she had to help us with this. I'll ask her later." Ren answered.

"Alright well, try to find out soon. The more help we have, the better." Ryuji finished as the volleyball match began.

It didn't take long for Kamoshida and his team to take the lead. They were consistently spiking the ball onto the floor on the students half. Ren looked over at Ryuji as he noticed his attention wasn't on Kamoshida, or the game, but rather on the girl from the other day, Takamaki. 

"...still hasn't changed a bit." Ryuji mumbled to himself.

He noticed Ren was looking at him and swiftly decided to change the subject.

"Pretty boring, huh?" He said while yawning.

Just then, their attention was shot back onto the game as a large thud was heard. The ball from one of Kamoshida's shots hit a kid square in the face.

'There's no way that wasn't on purpose.' Ren thought in the back of his mind. He wouldn't be surprised if it was, considering all the things they saw in his palace.

He then looked at his friends sitting beside him. Ryuji had an enraged look on his face, while Kasumi visibly cringed and Sumire covered her eyes.

Ryuji then turned and grabbed Ren's attention as he gave him a meaningful nod. Ren returned the gesture as the two knew that they needed to follow through on the plan they had set. 

Soon after the game ended the pair ended up splitting off. They began to ask around the different members of the volleyball team, but to no avail. Everyone they tried to ask would deny anything that the pair would ask them about. Ren did manage to get one name, Yuuki Mishima. 

Ren caught him as he was trying to leave the school for the day.

"Hey, are you Yuuki Mishima?" He asked.

Mishima turned around with a scared look on his face.

"Amamiya? What do you want…?" He said in a quiet and shaky voice.

"I wanted to ask you about Kamoshida." Ren told him.

"There's absolutely nothing going on! No abuse, just regular practice…" He mumbled a response.

"How did you know I was gonna ask about the abuse?" Ren asked him.

'Damn it… I messed up.' Mishima thought.

"Listen, there's nothing you can do. Everyone's in on it. Kamoshida, us players, even our parents. There's no point in trying. Just give up." Mishima told Ren with a defeated tone.

"There's no way that I can just sit by and-" Ren began before getting cut off.

"Mishima!" Came from a voice Ren definitely didn't want to hear from.

"Mr. Kamoshida…." Mishima responded.

"It's time for practice. Let's get going." Kamoshida said in a forceful tone.

"Damn. I was gonna head home today. I'm really not feeling well…" Mishima said in a soft voice.

"What was that? Are you really gonna be a quitter and betray your team?" Kamoshida asked him, getting more annoyed the more time passed.

"Did you not hear him? He isn't feeling well. He should probably go home." Ren told Kamoshida.

Kamoshida just scoffed and glared back at Mishima.

"Just give up…" Mishima mumbled so only Ren could hear him.

He then began to walk off towards the practice building with Kamoshida. After he left, Ren felt a buzz coming from his phone. He popped it out to see a text from Ryuji.

Ryuji : Any luck?

Ren: I talked to that Mishima guy. He admitted to it, but it's not gonna do much…

Ryuji: What do you mean? Isn't that good?

Ren: Everyone is in on it. Students and Parents. None of them are doing anything.

Ryuji: Dammit! Can't they see how wrong this is? Why do they still just sit around and do nothing about it?!

Ren: Because volleyball I guess. They get results, so they turn a blind eye.

Ryuji: This just pisses me off! But it doesn't seem we can do anything about it. Let's just go home and try to come up with another plan.

Ren: Alright, let's meet up at lunch tomorrow and think about what to do.

The boys decided to go home for the day, needing to come up with another plan to try and see how they can get rid of Kamoshida.

**April 14th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

"Dammit!" Ryuji slammed his fist against the vending machine.

The boys met in the pavilion for lunch to discuss what their plans are moving forward.

"Calm down. We need to think of another way to try and out him." Ren told him.

"I know! It's just so frustrating! How can everyone see this happening and turn a blind eye." Ryuji yelled.

Ren stayed silent. Even he didn't really know the answer. Why would people just stay silent when seeing others facing unjust treatment? What can they even do?

"Have you thought of anything?" Ryuji asked in a desperate voice.

"Police?" Ren asked.

"Nah, they aren't gonna do anything if we don't have concrete proof." Ryuji shot it down.

"Should we confront him ourselves?" Ren asked.

"If you wanna end up with a broken limb and get expelled…" Ryuji said in a sarcastic voice.

Ren thought a little longer.

"...What if we punish the king?" He asked.

Ryuji looked back at him with a shocked face.

"You mean that castle with the other Kamoshida?"

The conversation was interrupted by another voice.

"I finally found you!" It yelled.

"Huh?" Ryuji said in a confused voice, looking around the area but not seeing anyone.

Suddenly, a cat jumped on the table. It was black with a yellow collar and blue eyes.

"It took me forever to track you guys down." It said.

"Wait… Morgana?" Ren asked.

"The one and only!" He said in a pompous tone.

"Hey! You are a cat!" Ryuji yelled.

"T-this is just what I look like when I come to your world. Anyways, I heard you were gonna punish the king. And I can tell you how…" Morgana told the pair.

"How?" Ren asked.

"I'll tell you about it later. You two need to head back to class soon right? Meet me on the roof when you're done with class. And bring Sumire with you as well." He said.

The pair nodded as they headed back to class. Ren took a second to call Sumire.

"Hey, you're not gonna believe what just happened." He said after the phone picked up.

" _ What happened? Don't leave me in suspense _ !" She said with a pouty tone.

"Morgana came to school." He said in a confident voice.

Sumire was shocked. " _ How? Can he even leave that "palace" place _ ?"

"I guess so." Ren decided to ask her straight out. "Anyways, he told us to meet him on the roof after school. Can you make it?"

" _ I'm sorry, but I have practice after school today. Can you tell me what it's about later _ ?" She asked.

"Sure, wanna come by later to talk about it?"

" _ You mean your p-place? _ " She said with a very flustered voice.

"Leblanc." He told her.

" _ O-oh right… Yes! I can come by after practice. _ " She realized her mistake.

"Alright, see you then. Bye." He finished talking.

" _ See you later Senpai! _ " She said in an excited voice.

The call ended right as the bell signifying the end of lunch rang. Ren would just need to meet up with Ryuji and Morgana to discuss the plan.

**April 14th, 20XX - Shujin Rooftop**

After class, Ren found his way to the roof where Ryuji and Morgana were already waiting.

"Hey, ready to start planning this?" Ryuji asked him.

"Yeah, Sumire couldn't come so I'll just tell her about it later." Ren explained her absence.

"Alright," Ryuji turned back to Morgana. "You said you know something about what he can do to Kamoshida, right?"

"It has to do with what Ren was talking about earlier. You'll need to attack the castle." The cat explained.

"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked.

"How would that do anything?" Ren added.

"That castle is how Kamoshida views this school." Morgana began his explanation. "He doesn't realize what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."

"What'd happen?" Ryuji asked.

"Like I explained before, a palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…" He trailed off.

"Then his desires would go too." Ren finished his sentence.

"Precisely!" Morgana exclaimed.

"For real?! He's gonna turn good?" Ryuji kept asking questions. "But, is that really getting back at him?"

"Erasing the palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes he committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!" Morgana said excitedly.

"You for real?! That's possible?!" Ryuji shouted

"And since the palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won't be a trace of our involvement."

"That's amazing! You are one incredible cat!" Ryuji said in a cheery tone.

"True… except for the cat part!" He barked at Ryuji.

Ren decided to change the subject.

"So, how would we go about doing that?" He asked Morgana.

"By stealing the treasure held within." He said simply.

"Stealing…?" Ryuji questioned.

"I'll tell you more, once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable secret plan, after all. If you wanna help me out, I'll gladly teach you. So what's your call?" The cat stared back at them.

"I guess we're all out of other options…" Ryuji said.

"You're right. Alright we'll do it." Ren answered.

"Good." The cat said plainly.

"It does sound like a sweet deal… but is there a catch?" Ren asked.

"Well… if we erase a palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love- those sorts of things."

"What are you getting at?" Ryuji asked.

Morgana continued. "If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than somewhat who has shut down entirely. They may even die if they're not given proper care. So…"

He was interrupted by Ryuji. "They might die?!"

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?"

"Would their death be our fault?" Ryuji kept pelting him with questions.

"Aren't you determined enough to face these kinds of risks?" The cat-thing asked.

"What do you think?" Ryuji looked back at Ren.

"I don't know… He's a horrible person no doubt about it. But does he really deserve to die?" Ren said.

"Sheesh, I come all this way and this is what I get. It's not like anyone will ever find out." Morgana said in an annoyed tone.

"That's not the point!" Ryuji barked at him. "If we just go around secretly doin' whatever we want, we'd be no better than that effen' Kamoshida…"

"Isn't this your only option?" The cat asked. "Whatever, I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by then."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes after Morgana left. They decided to head home and think if there was any other way to go about this 

**April 14th, 20XX - Shibuya Station**

As Ren was heading back to Leblanc he noticed a familiar head of hair speaking pretty loudly on the phone. It was Takamaki, she seemed to be in an argument of some sort.

"Wait, what!? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?" She yelled into the phone. "This has nothing to do with Shiho!" The phone was then hung up.

"Ah…" she mumbled as she crouched to the floor. "Shiho's starting position…" she whispered.

Ren decided to approach her to see if he could help.

"Hey, Takamaki right? Are you okay?" He asked.

She looked up to see her delinquent classmate standing right next to her. She jumped up in shock, not wanting anyone to see her how she was.

"Wait… were you listening?" She asked.

"Not on purpose." He answered.

"Haven't you heard of privacy?" She then paused and took a moment to compose herself. "...No, I was out of line. Sorry. So, how much did you hear?"

"You were arguing?" He told her.

"I see… that is true… It's nothing at all! Nothing…" as she finished she wiped the tears off her face and ran away as fast as she could, not wanting anyone to see her after a display like that.

Ren decided to chase after her to ensure that she was okay. He didn't want anyone else to fall into Kamoshida's traps after he saw what was in his palace.

When he caught up she seemed to get agitated.

"Stop following me! Just leave me alone!"

"Calm down. I just want to make sure you're okay." He told her honestly.

"Why? Why do you keep worrying about me?" She asked as her voice got much softer.

"Let's go somewhere safe." He said.

"What the heck? I seriously don't get you…" she mumbled.

Ren then led her to a burger place in Shibuya that he saw a couple times while on his way to school. They sat down and just ordered some water as the conversation began.

"I don't have anything to talk about with you." She said in an upset voice. "It was just an argument…"

"...with Kamoshida?" Ren questioned.

"You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida. Everyone says we're "getting it on." But… that's so not true! That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time. He told me to go to his place after this… you know what it means."

She grabbed the napkins sitting in front of her with a fiery rage in her tone.

"If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team… I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake… I can't take it anymore."

Tears began to fall from her eyes, but her voice was still filled with anger.

"I've had enough of this… I hate him! But still… Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me… what should I do?"

Ren looked down at his lap. He was angry, and he could feel that rage coming from Arsène in the back of his mind as well. There's no way he could ever leave things as they were.

"Sorry… I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem."

"It's alright. I understand more than most how horrible that bastard is." He told her.

"Heh, what am I saying? I've barely even talked to you before…"

"Maybe that's why?" He asked.

"It's possible…" she said in a quiet tone.

"You're so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me. Are you really a bad person? I've heard people talking about you, but… I just don't see it."

"What are they saying?" Ren asked as if he didn't already know.

"That you assaulted someone, that you almost killed them. I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations though. You seemed lonely, almost like you didn't belong anywhere. We're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy to open up to you?"

"That could be it. But, what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know… I wish there was a way for me to help Shiho. Or even just change his mind. Like, forget about me, and everything. As if something like that would ever happen…"

"You never know. It could happen one day." Ren told her.

"I wasn't asking for a serious answer." Her mood shifted to a more positive tone. "But I do feel a bit better now. I'm gonna head home."

She stood up and gathered her belongings.

"Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay? I'll try to think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well, thanks." Ren gathered his things and headed back to Leblanc. He was going to have a guest soon and didn't want to be late.

**April 14th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

"Suzui…" Mishima said as he approached the girl. "Are you leaving?"

She turned around to face Mishima.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Mr. Kamoshida's asking for you… He's in the P.E. faculty office."

"What did he say?"

"...I don't know. Well, I have to go." Mishima ran off after finishing his message.

"..." Shiho stood in silence for a moment before getting a ring from her phone.

"Ann…" she whispered.

She then put her phone away, and began to walk towards Kamoshida's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this chapter was supposed to cover all the way till the return to the palace on the 15th. However, I felt it would be way too long, so I just cut it here. We'll get to it in the next chapter!
> 
> Also, a question. Is anybody reading this, come from the updates I post on r/churchofkasumi?  
> I was wondering if it's worth posting about it there, if nobody really comes from them.


	9. A Rallying Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Sumire have a conversation about what they plan to do about Kamoshida. And a certain incident at Shujin makes everyone realize what has to be done.

**April 14th, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Hey Sojiro, I'm gonna have someone over in a bit." Ren let him know. Sumire had said that she would come over later in order to discuss the plans that Morgana had told him and Ryuji about.

"That's fine, I'll be leaving in a couple minutes anyways." Sojiro told Ren.

After a little while had passed, Sojiro packed up and left the store with Ren. After studying for a little while, he got a text on his phone.

Sumire: I'm on my way now!

Ren: Alright, I'll see you in a bit.

Now all he had to do was make sure she was okay with the idea that Morgana had. Even he wasn't so sure about it, but until another idea popped up, there really weren't any other options.

Suddenly, Ren heard the door chime from downstairs. He got up and walked down to see Sumire standing by the entrance.

"You wanna come take a seat?" He asked.

"Oh! Yes, thank you Senpai." She answered.

Sumire then sat in one of the stools while Ren stood behind the counter.

"So, what's this plan that Morgana had come up with?" She asked.

"Well, it's complicated. So bear with me for a minute." Ren told her as he began.

Sumire simply nodded as she began listening to what he was saying.

"So, that palace place. Apparently, it's some sort of manifestation of his desires."

"I got that much from the first two times we went there." She interjected.

"Right, well according to Morgana, there's a way we can "steal his desires" from him."

"You mean like destroying the castle? That doesn't sound possible…" she questioned.

"No, supposedly in the depths of the castle, there's a treasure, and if we steal that, we can take the entire palace down." Ren finished the first part of the explanation.

"But, what would that even do to the real Kamoshida?" Sumire asked.

"His "distorted desires" would disappear for good. In the real world, Kamoshida would confess to everything he's done. Not only that, but there wouldn't be any trace that we were involved." He told her.

'Hmmm' Sumire began to think. 'It sounds like a good deal, but should we really do it?'

"I'm not entirely sure about what we should do yet. Is there any catch or downside?" She asked him.

Ren nodded. "Well, Morgana said that if he loses his desires, he could lose his will to eat, sleep, all the essentials. If he didn't get proper care, he could die."

Sumire was shocked to hear this come out of Ren's mouth.

"Have you already agreed?! I'm not sure if this is really the best course of action." She asked him.

Ren shook his head. "I'm not sure either, but at this point, I don't know what else we can do. I don't want to just sit by and let him get away with this." 

Sumire looked at him straight in the eyes. She could tell he was really troubled by this. He seemed like he was almost on the verge of tears. Sumire decided to place her hand on his to try and calm him down. He looked up at her face and saw the smile she was giving him. He tried his best to give one back, and managed to get a small one out.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 5_ **

"I don't want you to feel pressured to go along with this." He told her. "I know whatever decision you make, it'll be the best for you." 

"Thank you Ren-senpai. I'm going to have to think about it for a bit." She told him.

"It's alright, we can talk about it another time."

Suddenly, a large noise interrupted the silence the two were staring at each other in.

It was Sumire's stomach.

"I guess you're hungry huh?" He asked.

Her face turned into a shade of bright red.

"I've been practicing my curry-making skills. Wanna try some out?" He asked.

"That'd be great! Thank you Senpai." She told him.

The two enjoyed their dinner together, before Sumire had to head home. Ren walked her to the station as they said their goodbyes for the night.

**April 15th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

Ren was sitting in class while Mr. Ushimaru was giving a lecture about the government. Ren wasn't really paying attention, however. He was more concerned about what to do regarding Kamoshida. As he was staring out the window, a small black shape formed near his lap.

"Morgana?!" He whispered at the cat, who was hidden in his desk.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" The cat asked. "No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You'd be better off just listening to me."

"Why are you in there?" Ren asked in a hushed tone.

Mr. Ushimaru's voice rang above everything else.

"Hm? Did I just hear a cat just now?" He asked the class.

The class began to whisper as Morgana tried his best to mimic an actual meow.

"Hm. Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby? Settle down! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"

'Maybe I should've been paying attention…' Ren thought to himself before getting a text from Ryuji.

Ryuji: It's no use, I can't think of any other way…

Ren: Are you cutting class?

Ryuji: I can't deal with that shit right now! I mean, what're we gonna do about Kamoshida?

Ren: We might just have to go along with Morgana's idea.

Ryuji: Ugh, that damn cat…

"If only he knew I'm reading this too." Morgana commented on their conversation.

Ren then heard a student stand up from their seat. He looked over to see him point out of the window.

"Hey… what's that?!" He yelled.

"Enough! This is a classroom." Mr. Ushimaru barked to get attention back.

"Wait…" another voice joined in. "She's going to jump!" She screamed.

The entire classroom began to erupt with conversation about what's happening.

"Suzui?" Mishima asked as he stood up.

"Shiho?" Ann asked with a face that looked frozen with fear.

Mr. Ushimaru kept yelling at the students to return to their seats. Ann got up and ran out of the room and Ren decided to follow.

They looked out the window to her standing against the guard rail. There was nothing between her and the air that led to the ground below. And then…

She fell.

Ann screaming with all of the other students watching the event unfold from the inside. Teachers were yelling for the students to return to their classrooms but they were ignored.

"No… Why? Shiho!" Ann cried.

She ran off to go find her best friend. As she did, Ryuji met Ren outside of the classroom.

"Hey! What's going on? We should head down to the courtyard too!"

"Let's go!" Ren yelled as the pair ran down the stairs.

The stairs were blocked so they ended up having to go through the practice building. After shoving their way through, they saw her body on the ground. It was being held in some medical equipment. 

"Shiho!" Ann yelled.

"What the hell's wrong with these people?"

"They're just standing around… Gawking and recording it, as if this is for their entertainment. It's sickening." Ren told him.

A medic from the ambulance then asked if there are any teachers around to go with her. They all brushed it off, trying to get someone else to do it. Ann was fed up with their indecisiveness. 

"I'll go!" She yelled.

Ann ran and kneeled down near her friend. The tears were falling all over her face.

"Shiho.. Why?"

"Ann..?" She managed to get out. "I'm sorry. I-I just can't take this anymore."

"Shiho?" Ann leaned in closer.

Shiho seemed to whisper something to her. After hearing it, Ann's face lit up in a mix of sadness and rage.

"Huh? ...Kamoshida?!"

Shiho managed to get one more sigh in before she passed unconscious. 

"No… Shiho?!" Ann yelled.

The pair then left to go to the hospital. Ren and Ryuji were still in the courtyard after witnessing what just happened. They noticed that Mishima had run away with a scared expression on his face.

"That guy…" Ryuji mumbled.

"He knows something. Let's go." Ren said as the pair took off to go find him.

____________________________________

"Ah! That hurt!" Mishima yelled as Ryuji grabbed his arm to keep him from running.

"Why'd you run like that? Huh?" He asked.

"I didn't run…" Mishima mumbled.

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!" Ryuji yelled.

"L-leave me alone…" Mishima tried to spit out.

"Spit it out. What do you know?" Ren asked with an intense glare on his face.

"We ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say you talked either!" Ryuji added.

"Suzui… she was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

"Wait, what?" They said in unison.

"I was called a number of times too… to the teacher's room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them." Mishima caved and told them.

"So the physical punishment thing was for real…" Ryuji said.

"But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything… Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been… worse than usual."

A slow realization crawled into Ren and Ryuji's faces.

"He didn't…"

"There's no way…" they said.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Ryuji screamed as he slammed his fist against the lockers beside them.

Ryuji ran off as Ren followed. However, another voice caught Ren's attention.

"Ren? What's going on..?" She said.

It was Kasumi. She was standing in the practice building right by the stairs.

"I saw you guys yelling over there. And what that girl outside just did… what's going on here?!" She asked.

Ren put his hands on her shoulders causing her some embarrassment for a second before she looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Kasumi, listen to me. I need you to promise me something." He told her with a serious tone of voice, unlike anything she'd ever heard from him. "Make sure you and your sister, never, in any circumstance, are alone with Kamoshida. Always be sure there's others there, and if he tries to come talk to one of you, come to me instead. Can you promise me that?" He asked her pleadingly.

Kasumi nodded her head as Ren lowered his arms.

"Good. Now go make sure everything is okay with her." Ren told her.

"I will. See you in a bit Ren." Kasumi answered.

She then returned to the first years classrooms as Ren and Mishima headed up to the P.E. office.

As they entered the room, they found Ryuji, in a full blown rage, yelling at Kamoshida.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?" He yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Kamoshida asked in a calm tone.

Ryuji, enraged by Kamoshida's false ignorance, kicked a chair over and knocked it into the wall.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Ryuji yelled at the teacher.

"That is enough!" Kamoshida yelled back.

"What you did… wasn't coaching!" Mishima told the man in front of them.

"What did you say?" Kamoshida glared at the boy.

"You… you ordered me to call Suzui here. I can only imagine what you did to her..!"

Kamoshida stood up and crossed his arms. "You're going on and on about things you have no proof of… Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about!" Mishima raised his voice.

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… What can you do about it? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim. How would someone like that make a statement? There's no chance of her getting better, I hear… Ohhh, the poor girl."

"No… that can't be…" Mishima mumbled.

"You utter bastard." Ren told him.

"You goddamn..!" Ryuji began.

"This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of "self-defense?" Kamoshida egged Ryuji on.

"You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" Ryuji yelled.

Ryuji raised his fist, about to strike Kamoshida, when Ren held him back.

Ryuji looked back at Ren. "Why are you stoppin' me!?"

"Calm down, this isn't the time, or place." Ren told him.

"But still!"

Kamoshida looked back at Ren. "Oh! You're stopping him? What a surprise!" He looked back and Ryuji. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Ohhhh, you caaan't." He laughed in Ryuji's face. "But of course you can't!"

He turned back to his desk and began to take out some paperwork.

"Everyone present right now will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting." He announced.

"Wha-?" Ryuji stuttered.

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima exclaimed.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you have to say? And you've threatened me too, Mishima. So you're just as responsible."

"Huh?" Mishima gasped.

"To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked his criminal records, didn't you?"

Ren looked over at Mishima who also looked at Ren, before turning around to hide his face.

'So, he's the one that did it.' Ren realized.

"It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

"Mishima?" Ryuji asked.

"He told me to do it, I had no choice…" He mumbled under his breath.

"Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for, your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight." Kamoshida barked.

"I can't believe this asshole is getting away with this..!" Ryuji yelled.

"He'll eat his words. It's time to go visit someone, right Ryuji?" Ren asked.

"Oh yeah… let's go." He said as the two left Kamoshida's office. Mishima left with them, but headed home for the day.

As they made their way out, Ren was stopped by someone grabbing his hand. He turned around to see Sumire. She was clearly out of breath and running over to get his attention.

"You're going to the palace, right Senpai?" She asked.

Ren nodded. "I don't care about what could happen anymore, someone has to put a stop to this."

"Then I'm coming with you!" She yelled.

Ren was shocked. He honestly didn't expect her answer so soon, but he was glad to hear it.

"Seeing that girl up there, it reminded me of myself a couple months ago. I'm worried that if I didn't have you, or Kasumi, I would've ended up just like her. I won't sit back and let a man who causes that pain upon others to remain here!"

"I'm glad you've decided to join us. Come on, let's go meet with Morgana and head in." Ren told her.

"Right!" She said. 

The trio walked out to the alley and met with the cat.

"Hey, the moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you're all ready?" Morgana asked.

Everyone nodded and the world around them grew distorted. Once they arrived they began to walk towards the entrance, when a voice came from behind that stopped them in their tracks.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Ann yelled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the people who answered the question on the last chapter. I will continue to post about it for now.
> 
> Right now, the plan is to finish the Kamoshida arc. After that's I feel covering the whole plot won't be necessary? It will be largely the same, but of course, Sumire is now present. I will still cover the portions I think are important. But I want to focus more on Ren and the twins relationship, rather than main plot points everyone has seen before. So there will probably be a dramatic change with how the fic is handled after the Kamoshida arc.


	10. A Fiery Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another awakening occurs inside the palace. Also, codenames!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay between chapters. I've been thinking a lot about where this is going and I think I've got it mostly planned out. Just wanna make sure everything fits together before it gets into motion.

**April 15th, 20XX - Kamoshida's Palace**

The newly formed group of thieves looked over at the screaming girl, only to realize that it was their classmate, Ann Takamaki.

"Ann?!" Ryuji blurted out in surprise.

She looked over at the group before making a visibly frightened face, likely from their appearances. 

"Wait… Ryuji? And you two! Amamiya and that honors first year student!" She yelled at the group.

"How did you get here?" Ren asked her in a relaxed tone, trying to calm her down.

"I saw you guys sneak off after I got back from the hospital… I could tell you were gonna do something about Kamoshida, but what the hell is this place!?" She continued screaming.

"I'm not sure we'd be able to explain this to her…" Sumire said in a defeated voice.

"Right. And it's too dangerous for her to be here anyways. Hey Morgana, how do we send her back?" He asked the cat.

"Just push her back the way we came in. But be careful with her…" He said in a strange tone.

Ren looked over at the cat, only to see him staring at her with an infatuated look on his face. Ren sighed as the group picked Ann up and pushed her out.

"I'm sorry Takamaki-senpai." Sumire told her.

"Don't be sorry, put me down! And hey Ryuji, watch where you're touching!" She yelled as they tried to send her out.

"Damn it…" Ryuji sighed.

After the girl was forced out of the palace, the team regrouped near the entrance.

"Alright!" Morgana began. "We're gonna need to organize this team in order to maximize our efficiency. Since I know the most about this place, I'll serve as our navigator for the time being." The group all nodded as the cat continued. He looked over at Ren before starting again. "Lucky for you, you've been chosen as our field leader, is that alright with you, Joker?"

"That's fine with me if everyone else is okay with it?" He looked at the other two.

Sumire gave him a confident smile and nod while Ryuji gave him a thumbs up.

"Also, why did you call me Joker?" He asked.

"Simple. We don't know the effects of using our real names in palaces, so using codenames is a safer alternative. Is Joker alright with you?" He explained.

"Sounds good to me, but what about the others?" Ren looked around at the other two.

"For Ryuji… how about "Thug"?" Morgana suggested.

"Hell no!" Ryuji shouted. "When it comes to mine, it's gotta be related to this mask, so how about "Skull"?" He asked.

"Sounds great to me." Ren gave his approval.

"What about mine Senpai?" Sumire looked over at Ren.

"Ooh, how about "Dancer"? You do gymnastics right?" Ryuji said.

"Yeah but… it sounds kinda plain." Sumire shot it down.

"What about "Violet"? It's your name in English. Plus, it sounds elegant and composed, kinda like someone I know." Ren teased.

Sumire's eyes widened at Ren's suggestion.

"That's perfect! Thank you Senpai!" She yelled.

"Thanks, but it's not that big a deal…" Ren tried to calm her down, but failed miserably.

"What about Morgana though?" Sumire asked.

"Why not just, "Mona?" Ryuji asked.

"That's fine with me if everyone else is alright with it." Morgana said in a voice that screamed "I don't care".

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. From here on out, we're Joker, Violet, Skull, and Mona. Be sure you don't forget."

"Right!" The other three said in unison.

"Okay, let's head on in." Ren said as the group began their infiltration.

After entering the palace they found themselves in a hallway leading to the main hall. The group saw a large number of shadows gathered there and decided to try going through another door. Upon entry, they were met with another shadow. During the fight, the team discovered that Joker had a special ability to take a shadow and make it a Persona he could use.

"That's amazing Senpai!" Violet cheerfully said.

"But how is that possible? Do you know Mona?" Skull asked.

"Beats me." Mona said plainly. "But it's definitely a useful skill to have."

As the group continued, they decided to take a break in a safe room they found along the way.

"You guys wait here. I'm gonna patrol around to see how many shadows are out here." Mona said.

Everyone nodded as they sat and rested for a bit. 

"Shit!" The cat yelled as he returned.

"What's wrong?" Joker asked.

"It's Lady Ann! She must have come back and the soldiers captured her!" Mona shouted.

"Ann..!" Skull said as he stood up.

"Come on! We need to go rescue her!" Joker commanded.

The team left the safe room and followed the guards tracks while trying to keep a low profile.

_____________________________________

"What's all this about?! Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!" Ann shouted at the guards beside her.

"So, this is the intruder." The cognitive Kamoshida began.

"Kamoshida!" Ann reacted in surprise. She was shocked once again when another version of her approached Kamoshida. She was wearing a skimpy bikini and had a cat ears headband on. "Who's that?" The real Ann asked. "More importantly, what is this place?! Why's the school turned into something like this?!"

The King began. "I can't believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her." He started to laugh maniacally. "Are you afraid?" He asked.

"What is that outfit? Have you lost your mind?" Her attention was focused on the bastardized version of herself standing before her.

"I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires." He answered.

"What the-!? Wait… is this some red-light district?" She asked, still not understanding the situation at hand.

"What a lively slave." He said with a creepy stare.

Ann glared back at the man standing across from her. "This isn't funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!"

Kamoshida scoffed as he turned back at the other Ann. "The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?"

"Talking back is, like… totally unforgivable…" The fake Ann said in a voice that made her sound like the dumb blond bimbo that the rumors at Shujin liked to paint her as.

Kamoshida turned back to face the real Ann. "In that case, she should be executed."

The guards began to approach Ann as fear was the only thing in Ann's mind.

"Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ann asked looking down at the floor.

At the same time, the team arrived at the room where Ann was being held.

"This is effed up…" Skull said as he entered the room.

Looking around at the floor, they were filled with fake versions of the volleyball team girls. All without tops on, making seductive poses. They were all gushing about Kamoshida.

"Is that what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team!?" Skull asked.

"It's horrible…" Violet mumbled.

"He really is nothing but a disgusting pig." Joker said.

"There she is!" Mona shouted as he pointed at Ann, who was held up on the wall.

"Takamaki!" Skull shouted as he approached them.

Kamoshida sighed. "Just when I was about to start enjoying myself…"

"What's the deal with this guy?!" Ann asked as she recognized Ryuji.

  
  


"You little…" Ryuji began.

"...How many times are you gonna come back?" He asked Skull before turning back to Ann. "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah… I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know."

Ann was flabbergasted by what Kamoshida just said.

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself into me that I had her take your place."

"YOU BASTARD!" Ann screamed.

The guards then began to approach her.

"No!" Ryuji yelled as he tried to get closer.

"Take one more step and I'll kill her on the spot." Kamoshida told them.

Ann began to tune everything out. Her world fell silent as she was alone with her thoughts.

'This is all my fault. I should have just accepted it and none of this would've happened. Shiho, I'm so sorry.'

She was interrupted by another voice.

"Are you really just gonna sit there and listen to him?!" Ren asked.

She looked back and up and stared at him before realizing what he meant.

"No… I don't want that. Letting this piece of shit you with me… What was I thinking!?" Her voice grew louder.

"It's like I always say, slaves should just behave and-" Kamoshida was interrupted.

"Shut up!" Ann yelled. "I've had enough. You've pissed me off you son of a bitch!"

Suddenly, a voice rang in her head.

" **My… it's taken far too long."**

A headache filled Ann's head as she began screaming in pain.

" **Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don't? Forgiving him was never the option… Such is the scream of the other you who dwells within…** "

" **I am thou, thou art I…** "

" **We can finally forge a contract…** "

"I hear you… Carmen." She whispered.

Blue flames swiftly covered her face, forming a red mask in the shape of a cat's head.

"You're right. No more holding back!"

Kamoshida gasped as he stood back.

" **There you go… Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.** "

In her rage, Ann broke free of the restraints she was forced into.

" **Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength.** "

At this moment, Ann pulled back on her mask to rip it off. Like before, blue flames covered her whole body. After fading away, there stood a refined looking lady, standing on a hunched over man with a heart for a head. Ann was standing in front of them, wearing what appeared to be a red leather suit with a tail on the end. She ran over to the guard in front before kicking it back and taking it's sword. She then launched into the air and cut the fake version of her in half with it. Kamoshida hid behind his guard, terrified of what was standing before him.

"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with… you scumbag." Ann said with a glare.

"Bitch..!" He yelled back at her.

The other thieves then ran behind Ann, ready to back her up.

"You stole everything from Shiho… You destroyed her… Now it's your turn!" She pointed at the man. "I WILL ROB YOU OF EVERYTHING!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Enough of your insolence!" A soldier shouted before turning into a demon monster.

"No, I've had enough of you. No one's gonna stop me now! Let's go, Carmen!" She commanded her Persona before the fight began.

The team began using all the elemental skills they had at their disposal. After Ann hit it with Agi, the team learned it was weak to fire. Ren switched to the Pyro Jack he gained earlier as the team kept knocking then down. It wasn't long before the enemy fell. By the time it was finished however, Kamoshida had already evacuated.

"Wait!" Ann yelled before falling to her knees.

"How did you get back in here?" Ryuji asked her.

"Hey, is that how you speak to a woman?" Morgana asked.

"Shut it cat!" He barked back at him.

"Can you stand?" Ren asked her.

"Nevermind that, what is this thing? Is it alive? How can it talk? And where are we?" She asked while looking at Morgana.

"Don't worry! Just calm down, we'll explain everything once we leave!" Sumire tried to calm her down.

"How am I supposed to calm down!" She yelled while picking herself off the floor by using Morgana's head.

"And why am I dressed like this?" She asked, trying to cover herself.

"Come on, we need to get out of here. No doubt Kamoshida's about to send more soldiers this way." Mona said.

"Right, follow us." Joker said as he led the group out of the palace.

**April 15th, 20XX - Shujin Academy Gate**

"Alright, you all need to explain what that was." Ann told them.

After taking a bit to explain the palace and the plan to steal Kamoshida's heart, Ann made her decision.

"Let me in on this, you know I can fight too." She told them.

"I dunno…" Ryuji began.

"Oh come on Sakamoto-senpai!" Sumire scolded him.

"It's be more dangerous if we didn't. She probably has the app now, so she can go in if she wanted." Ren told him.

"You're right… Fine. Welcome to the team." Ryuji caved.

"Alright! Let's exchange chat ID and numbers. Make sure to let me know when we're meeting up." Ann said in a much brighter tone than before.

The group all nodded as they decided to head home for the day. It was finally time for the infiltration to truly begin.


	11. A Siege of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thieves infiltrate and attempt to steal Kamoshida's treasure.

The group wasted no time with their infiltration. After taking the weekend to stock up on medicine from a shady doctors office and weapons from a gun fanatic in Shibuya, the team began infiltrating on Monday. They found that if they kept their magic usage at a minimum, they were able to make it through, without getting as tired. Eventually, after slipping through tons of traps and discovering these "Will Seed" things, they found their way to the top of the castle. Behind the throne room, they discovered the treasure. Morgana explained that they'd need to send a calling card to the target in order for it to materialize. The group agreed to make it tomorrow, and display it on Wednesday. They walked out of the palace, hoping to see the last of it and it's ruler very soon.

**April 19th, 20XX - Shujin Rooftop**

"Alright! So, Morgana. How do we send the calling card?" Ryuji asked.

"Just make sure to tell them that we're going to steal their desires. Other than that, you can pretty much say whatever you want." The cat explained.

"Wait, who's going to make it?" Sumire asked.

"Ooh ooh, let me do it!" Ryuji told her.

"That's fine with me." Ren answered.

"Just make sure it's not obvious that you were the one that sent it." Ann added.

"I know, I know. I got this. It'll look totally sweet!" Ryuji said excitedly.

The group agreed to meet tomorrow before school, to see the aftermath of the card. With that, they all went their separate ways.

**April 20th, 20XX - Shujin Academy, First Floor**

As Ren showed up he saw the students gawking at the walls. They were covered head to toe in red cards with a little design of a face with a top hat. It had text on it made of magazine clippings that read "Take Your Heart". Ren flipped it over to reveal more text. 

"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts"

After reading it, he looked over to see Sumire, Ryuji, and Ann standing against the wall. He patted Ryuji on the back as he approached. "Not bad. I liked the message you gave him." Ren said to him.

"See! I told you it was cool!" Ryuji said, looking at the two girls.

"It still needs some work…" Ann mumbled.

Sumire nodded in agreement with Ann.

"WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?" An obvious voice echoed through the halls.

Kamoshida approached multiple groups of students. "What's it you! Or you guys?!" He yelled at them. Unfortunately, as he turned around, he noticed Ren's group.

"Or maybe, it was you all!" He shouted at them.

Ren couldn't contain his laughter. "So what if it was?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.

Kamoshida was infuriated by Ren's comment. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him against the wall.

'Shit! That was probably a bad idea!' Ren though as he was pinned against the wall.

"Hey!" Ryuji shouted.

"Senpai!" Sumire yelled in a worried voice.

It was then, that another voice was heard.

"Put him down." They said.

Kamoshida and Ren looked over to see that it was Kasumi who made the command.

"What was that?" Kamoshida asked as he glared at the girl.

"You're getting pretty violent with a student. It makes me believe that maybe the stuff on the card was true. You wouldn't want everyone else to see that too, would you?" Kasumi asked.

"Hmph." Kamoshida scoffed as he lowered Ren. "You'd better choose whose side you're on more wisely, honors student." He told Kasumi as he walked off.

It was then that the thieves noticed the world turn dark, as they looked over at Kamoshida, they noticed it was his shadow and not his real self.

"Come, steal it if you can!" He mocked them before the world returned to normal.

"Ren, are you okay?" Kasumi asked him.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for standing up for me." He told her.

"It's no problem! Though I do have a question…" she continued.

"Shoot." Ren responded.

"Are you actually responsible for the cards?" She asked.

"Nope. I do think they're pretty great though." He told her dishonestly.

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything that might impact your stay here." She told him.

"It's alright. Trust me, I won't disappoint you." He told her with some fake confidence.

Kasumi giggled. "Alright then! Come on Sumire, let's get to class."

"U-um alright!" Sumire told her sister.

The pair headed off to their class.

"It's about time we get going too, we've got a long day today, huh?" Ann said as the second years headed up to their classes.

**April 20th, 20XX - Kamoshida's Palace**

As the thieves entered, they felt the pressure stacked on top of them. The sky was red and they heard sirens blaring.

"I guess the message got to him?" Joker asked Mona.

"Yep! I'm sure the treasure has materialized. Let's get going!" Mona shouted as the thieves traveled up to the throne room.

"That's so strange! It's empty!" Violet said as they entered the room.

She wasn't lying. The entire throne room was vacant. 

"Well come on, let's go grab it and get out of here!" Joker commanded as he led the thieves.

Once they arrived, Morgana had a bit of an episode when he saw the treasure.

"It's huge…" Skull gawked at it.

"It kinda makes me sick to my stomach…" Panther mumbled.

"Are we gonna have to carry this whole thing out?" Violet asked.

"I guess so… let's just get this over with." Joker said as he began to lift.

They managed to get it back down the stairs when another voice interrupted their moment of triumph.

"Go! Go! Let's go! Kamoshida!" They cheered as a ball knocked into the crown making the thieves lose their grip.

Right on cue the shadow Kamoshida appeared and shrank the treasure to hold it in his hand. After grabbing it, the cognitive version of Ann appeared and wrapped herself around him.

"I won't let anyone take this!" He yelled. "This proves that I am the king of this castle- it is the core of this world!"

"Yo pervert!" Skull yelled. "Were you waitin' to ambush us?"

"Hmph. Just made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you all right now. There are too many people in this world that don't understand that I'M on top. Including that girl who tried to kill herself."

Panther took a step back. "True… she's a total idiot, letting you manipulate her like that. But I'm even more of a dumbass for not realizing what it was doing to her. Even if everybody at school's a fool. Nobody needs your permission to live their lives!" She yelled at him.

"Drop the attitude you mediocre peasant. Don't you realize, I'm a cut above all other humans." He mocked her.

"Above? You mean beneath. You're a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires." She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Kamoshida began to laugh. "That's right… I'm not like you." Red and black flames began to erupt around him. "I'm a demon who rules this world!" As he finished he began to transform into a giant monster. He had horns and an extremely long tongue. He carried huge, gold silverware in each hand and carried a wine glass in one. In front of him sat a gold goblet filled with what appeared to be women's legs. Atop his head sat the crown.

"Oh shit…" Skull mumbled.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!" Kamoshida yelled.

"You're wrong! We'll be taking your distorted desires!" Joker yelled.

"That's right!" Violet backed him up. "We're gonna make sure no one ever has to go through what you did to them again!"

Kamoshida screeched as the fight began.

"Look! The treasures over there!" Mona yelled. "You four attack him for now, and when the opportunity arises, I'll go take it!" 

"Sounds good! Let's go everyone!" Joker commanded as the team lept into battle.

Joker and Panther used magic attacks to keep him burning, while Violet and Skull hit him with physical attacks.

After taking a beating, Kamoshida drank from the goblet in front of him.

"Hey!" Mona yelled. "He's gonna keep healing if you let him keep that goblet!" 

"Right! Everyone focus on the goblet!" Joker yelled.

The team continued to launch attacks at the goblet until it broke.

"Damn it! Mishima! Time for my kill-shot!" Kamoshida yelled.

"Mishima!?" Skull exclaimed.

A cognitive Mishima appeared from behind, holding a volleyball. "Here you are King Kamoshida!" He yelled in a frightened voice.

He tossed up the ball as Kamoshida jumped into the air and sent it crashing down. The thieves managed to guard the attack, but it still hurt pretty bad.

"Panther! Focus on healing us up! Mona, it's time!" Joker commanded.

Mona nodded as he began to climb the wall on the left side of the hall.

"Send in the next slave!" Kamoshida roared.

Then came something Panther definitely didn't want to see. It was Kamoshida's cognitive version of Shiho. Similar to hers, she was wearing a skimpy outfit, but instead of a cat, she looked like a bunny.

"Here you are King Kamoshida!" She cheerfully yelled.

"Good Suzui… now line up for the kill-shot!" He commanded.

"Panther, I know it'll hurt, but we need to take out the cognitive Suzui." Joker told her.

"It's alright. All I see is me destroying his warped image of her." She responded.

Joker nodded as the team focused their attacks on her. It didn't take much for her to go down. They had prevented him from using another kill-shot.

"Damn it! I know I should've gotten rid of that worthless girl! Bring in another slave!" Kamoshida roared.

But nobody came.

"Am I really out of slaves?! How?!" Kamoshida questioned.

"Now Mona!" Joker yelled.

"Huh?!" Kamoshida stuttered before realizing what happened.

Mona jumped across the gap near the top of the room and knocked the crown off his head.

"Noooooo! I need my crown!" Kamoshida yelled.

"Alright! Let's finish this!" Joker shouted as the team hit him with a flurry of attacks.

Soon after they finished, Kamoshida had returned to his shadow form. The crown had returned to normal too. But when Joker tried to grab it, Kamoshida jumped and snatched it before he could take it.

"No! I need this! Without it I'm nothing!" He screamed like a child.

Ann approached him as she took off her mask and had Carmen prepare an Agi.

"Why don't you take a look behind you?" She asked.

He turned around to see the outside of the castle. He saw the ground many floors beneath him.

"Right now, you're seeing the same view Shiho did. Except she didn't have a choice but to jump." She continued coldly.

Kamoshida tried to stand and run before she fired an Agi, keeping him in place.

"Ann!" Skull yelled.

"Takamaki-senpai!" Violet freaked out for a moment, thinking she hit him.

"Y-you want this!? Fine. Take it. I lose, it's all over once you lose." Kamoshida said in a defeated tone.

"Return to your real self." Joker told him.

"Atone for your sins." Panther added.

At that moment, the shadow Kamoshida disappeared. However, soon after that happened, the ground began to shake.

"Come on! The palace is collapsing, we need to get out of here!" Mona yelled.

The thieves ran while screaming for their lives. Ryuji had tripped and fallen over, but got back up in time right before the crumbling palace consumed him. They jumped out of a door into the abyss. When they opened their eyes however, they were back outside Shujin.

"Oh my God…" Ann had to catch her breath.

"I never wanna deal with that again…" Sumire said as she tried to take a drink of water out of her bag.

"Did we do it?" Ryuji asked Morgana.

"I'm sure. The change of heart takes some time though. We'll likely know around the beginning of next month." He answered.

"But that's when me and Ryuji are gonna be expelled! Is he really gonna change before then?" Ren asked.

"I'm sure of it. You just need to remain positive." Morgana told the team.

"Alright, I think we should head home for today." Ren told the group.

They all agreed and once again, went their separate ways. The clock was ticking until Ren and Ryuji's fate was decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably noticed I skimmed over the exploration of the place. Honestly, it was just boring so I didn't wanna include it. We're approaching the end of the Kamoshida arc so that means the change in how the story is told is gonna begin soon. It's gonna focus more on Ren, Sumire, Kasumi, while retaining the basic plot of the game. However, major changes are going to occur later on and I think I have a pretty interesting idea for them. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.


	12. A Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamoshida confesses his crimes to the entire school. The Phantom Thieves are officially formed. And Ren spends some time studying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very quick update! I wrote a little faster because I feel pretty excited about getting this story to where it's headed. Chapters might be a little shorter from here on, as we're not focusing on the main plot anymore.

**May 2nd, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

'It worked. It actually worked.' Is all that Ren thought as he witnessed Kamoshida enter the gym during the morning assembly and confess everything. He admitted to beating and assaulting students and even blackmailing Ann. He tried to offer suicide as repentance but Ann stood up to him and told him that he'd just be escaping from his crimes again. Soon, the police were called and he turned himself in. After he had left, the school was filled with whispers and rumors about the supposed "Phantom Thieves" that stole Kamoshida's heart.

**May 2nd, 20XX - Shujin Rooftop**

"Alright! Everyone is talking about us!" Ryuji shouted.

"Quiet down moron! You don't want anyone hearing you right!" Ann scolded him.

"It's nice that this is finally all over." Sumire added.

"Yeah, the school is finally safe from that man." Ren said triumphantly.

"Ooh! I have an idea! We should have a party to celebrate!" Ryuji said.

"Oh yeah… I could sell the medal that came from his palace to get the money." Ren answered.

"I have a great idea for a place!" Ann chirped. "It's this fancy all you can eat buffet at a nice hotel! We should be able to afford it with how much that medals gotta be worth."

"When should we go then?" Sumire asked.

"How about on the fifth? On children's day." Ryuji suggested.

"Sounds good if everyone else is okay with that." Ren answered.

Everyone nodded as the team decided on where and when to meet up.

**May 5th, 20XX - Wilton Hotel**

"Mmmmm so good…" Ann hummed as she ate her plate of sweets.

"I know right? This place is amazing." Ryuji added as he scarfed down many different kinds of meat. "Aren't you two gonna eat anything?" He looked over at Ren and Sumire.

"I am, I just wanted to wait for the crowd to clear out." Sumire answered.

"It looks cleaned out now. Wanna go grab something?" Ren asked her.

"T-together!? I mean, sure!" She stuttered.

"Alright, hey cat, watch our seats." Ren told Morgana.

"I told you I'm not a cat! And fine… just bring me back some fatty tuna…" He managed to get out before they left.

As Ren and Sumire walked off, Ann decided to comment on something she noticed.

"Hey Ryuji, did you see that?" She asked.

"Huh? See what?" He responded with his mouth still full of meat.

"She was super flustered when he asked her to go with him. She totally likes him right?" She giggled as she continued to eat her food.

"Huh? You're just noticin' that now?" He responded in a surprisingly calm tone. "Well, whatever. Good for them."

"Awww, you're no fun Ryuji…" Ann mumbled to herself.

As they continued to eat, Ren and Sumire began to gather their plates. As they did, they heard many conversations about the Kamoshida case. They all talked about how the news and the "Phantom Thieves" had benefited them. They decided to try and ignore them, and headed back to the table after getting their food.

"Did you get my fatty tuna!?" Morgana barked.

"Yeah, yeah. Here you go." Ren tossed the fish his way.

Morgana began to chow down as the others followed suit. They kept eating and eating, but it seemed the food never disappeared… unless you were Sumire. In that case, all the food was gone.

"What the..?" Ryuji was starstruck.

"How did you do that!?" Ann asked.

Sumire got bright red and tried to hide behind Ren as he just laughed it off.

"Hey I gotta go to the bathroom. You need to go too?" Ryuji asked Ren.

"Sure, I'll come with." Ren said as he picked up his bag with Morgana inside as the pair headed off. Leaving the two girls alone.

_____________________________________

"Man, I ate way too much…" Ryuji mumbled.

"No shit. You threw up like, five times." Ren giggled.

"I don't know if I can ever eat like that again…" Ryuji kept going.

"You live a sad life Ryuji." Morgana commented.

"Shut up cat!" Ryuji barked.

The pair were standing outside of the elevators leading to the hotel restaurant. As they stood, they noticed a group of men in business suits. They shoved through the thieves and stood outside the elevator, blocking them off.

"Hey! We were here first asshole!" Ryuji shouted.

One of the men turned over and glared at Ryuji.

"Shut up brat." He told him as he turned around.

"Apologize to Ryuji." Ren told him.

The man scoffed as another man, in the center of the group mumbled to himself.

"I didn't realize this place had become a daycare since I was last here…" They said.

"What was that-" Ryuji said before he was cut off by the men entering the elevator and shutting the door. "I wanna change the hearts of all the bastards like them…" He mumbled.

_____________________________________

"Senpai!" Sumire yelled.

"What took you two so long!?" Ann questioned them in an angry tone.

"Woah! What's wrong!?" Ryuji asked as the boys sat down.

"Nothing… some lady knocked into my chair and dropped her plate. She decided it was all my fault and yelled at us." Ann explained.

"Man, you guys really have it rough in this world huh? Even at school it's like this." Morgana sighed.

"We ran into another group of assholes too. Honestly, it makes me wanna keep this going." Ryuji said.

"What do you mean?" Sumire asked.

"I mean the Phantom Thieves. There are tons of people suffering out there and they can't do anything about it! We can! We're the ones who can make a difference in the world." Ryuji explained.

"It sounds nice, giving hope to people who have none…" Ann thought out loud.

"What do you think, Senpai?" Sumire asked Ren. "I'm still uncertain, but if you want to do this. I'll help you out in any way I can!"

Ren smiled at Sumire's determination, but he had to think for a minute. He had the power to do this… but is it really right? He thought for a bit before reaching his decision.

"If they're people in power out there, that're a danger to themselves, or the people around them, we might be the only ones who can put an end to it. So if we're all in agreement, I'll be down." He told everyone.

"Right!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Let's come up with some rules." Ann began. "Like Ren said, we should all be in agreement on a target before taking action."

"That's fine." Ryuji added. "Anything else?"

"Well, remember how Morgana said it's possible to kill someone with this power? Let's say that killing is definitely off the table." Sumire added.

"Right." Ren added. "Is that all?" 

"Sounds good to me." Morgana said. "Then let this night be the official formation of the Phantom Thieves!"

"Are you fine being our leader?" Ann asked Ren.

"I sure as hell can't do it, so I trust you'd lead us well." Ryuji said.

"I'll follow where you lead, Senpai!" Sumire said excitedly.

"Geez…" Ren rubbed his neck. "If everyone is alright with it, I'd be glad to lead us!"

"Yeah!" They all shouted.

"Ohh crap!" Ann exclaimed. "I forgot our time is almost done! Ren you got the bill right!?"

"Yeah I got it." He lifted it up to show them. "Let's get going, we're gonna need to find a new target soon right?"

The group nodded as they left the restaurant for the night. Left on the table was the bill, signed not as Ren, but as "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts".

**May 9th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

Ren was pretty tired. The other day, Morgana had taken the team to Mementos for the first time. It was filled with eerie shadows and looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. They trained for a while and took a request from the "Phan-site" that Mishima had created after Kamoshida's confession. It ended up taking a lot of them and they needed a few days to recover before exploring again. Not only that, but exams were soon approaching and they needed to study. As classes had finished up for the day, Ren packed his bag and was ready to leave before getting an invitation via text.

Kasumi: Ren! Wanna hang out today? Sumire is at practice so I need a new study partner.

Ren: Which is it? Hang out? Or study?

Kasumi: You'll just have to see ;)

Ren sighed as he accepted her offer.

Ren: Alright, where do you wanna meet up?

Kasumi: Inokashira Park. I'm on my way over.

Ren: Alright, see you there.

Ren sighed again as he got up to head to the park.

"You know, you sound disappointed. But I bet you're pretty happy she asked you." Morgana commented.

"Shut up cat." Ren said as they left for the park.

**May 9th, 20XX - Inokashira Park**

Ren arrived to see Kasumi sitting on a bench under a tree.

"So, you here to study?" He asked.

"Hey Ren! We can for a bit, but I also just wanted to talk for a bit." She told him.

"Alright. Well let's get started." He told her.

She nodded as the two got to work. After around 45 minutes, Kasumi gave up and the pair finished their study session.

"So what did you wanna talk about?" Ren asked.

"Right, I'm trying to snoop or anything but… what's with you and Sumire hanging out all the time? She has never been so independent from me before and while I'm proud of her for that, it's strange to see her latch on to someone else for a change." She told him honestly.

  
  


"Well, we really are just friends. We hit it off back in March I suppose and everything just went from there." He answered.

"So there's nothing going on I shouldn't know about?" She asked in a serious tone, different from her normal, cheery self.

"Nothing I can think of." Ren responded.

"Good. There's also something else I wanted to ask you about." Kasumi began.

"What's up?"

"Well, I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've been struggling a little in my gymnastics for a bit. I was wondering if it's sort of a mental thing, so I was wondering if it would be alright with you if we just… hung out, every now and again? Just to clear my mind for a bit."

"Why not ask Sumire for help if it's a gymnastics issue?" Ren asked her.

"What!? I can't ask Sumire! She's my rival!" Kasumi shouted in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

"Alright well, it's fine with me. But I do have one request." Ren answered.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Would you be willing to teach me some gymnastics? They seem pretty fun and I'd love to know more." He said, only halfway telling the truth. He did want to know them, but it was actually for Phantom Thieves work. He was reminded of a time where he saw her practicing in the gym. She was spinning gracefully, with loads of flips and complicated movements. It surely was something that would aid the team.

"Hmmm… alright! Sounds like a deal." She told him. 

**_Charity Confidant - Rank 4_ **

"We have some time, why not get started right now?" Kasumi asked.

"Sounds good to me. Don't work me too hard though." Ren laughed.

"Oh believe me, you'll be put through your paces." She told him a joking manner.

The two spend the rest of the afternoon practicing gymnastics. After a while they both headed home. Exams were coming up soon. Not only that, but they announced there's gonna be an assembly during exam week. Ren pondered what it could be about as he headed to sleep.


	13. A Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren visits the TV station on his school trip. He then goes to Dome Town with his friends.

The month of May was a busy one for Ren Amamiya and his Phantom Thieves. For starters, they had taken down another palace ruler. Ichiryusai Madarame was a world renown "Master of the Japanese Arts". Or rather, he was a fraud who used his pupils ideas as his own, while mentally and physically abusing them, leading some to commit suicide. After a chance encounter with his most recent pupil, Yusuke Kitagawa, the thieves began investigating the man. It didn't help that the first Mementos Request they had fulfilled had mentioned Madarame by name as well. After spending some time in the palace, they needed a way through a door. Morgana taught them that using the real world to meddle with a ruler's cognition is a viable tool. They used this knowledge to open the door in reality, leading to the opening of it in the palace. There was a problem however, Yusuke had fallen into the palace as well. After seeing what the man he thought of as his father truly felt, he awakened to his Persona as well. He joined the team under the codename "Fox", and the Phantom Thieves officially grew to 6 members.

The palace wasn't the only interesting thing that month, another was about a new counselor at Shujin. Takuto Maruki was hired at Shujin to help students if they needed to talk about what happened with Kamoshida. Unfortunately, Ren, Ryuji, and Ann were all a part of a group of "certain students" who were required to attend the sessions. After visiting his first one however, Ren realized it could be vital to their thief work. Who would know more about cognition than someone who specialized in it? Ren formed a deal with Maruki in order to help with his paper, and in turn, raise his mental acuity.

**June 9th, 20XX - TV Station**

Today was the Shujin second year's school trip to the TV station. After a couple hours of standing around and listening to the guide go on and on about pretty basic information, the students were finally released for the day. The group had gone back into one of the buildings to discuss their plans for the rest of the day.

Ann yawned. "That was super boring…"

"At least you didn't have to carry around wires!" Ryuji snapped back at her.

"Yeah but I was getting all kinds of weird looks from some guys all around. It was gross." She said to the boys.

"Worry not, Lady Ann! For I only have the purest of gazes upon you!" Morgana chimed in.

"Shut up cat." The other three said instinctively.

"Well, what do you guys wanna do from here? We don't usually get to come here often so hanging out would be cool." Ann said.

"Isn't there a theme park around here? We could hang out there." Ren suggested.

"Ooh yeah! We should totally go there. Text Sumire and Yusuke if they wanna join us too! Yusuke should be out of school by now and Sumire's trip is over too, I think." Ryuji yelled.

"Sounds like a plan." Ren said. Right after finishing his sentence his stomach growled pretty loud. "I guess we should grab lunch somewhere."

"Ooh!" Morgana shouted. "I wanna go to that huge pancake looking place! It looked soooo gooooooood..." The cat purred.

Everyone nodded their heads to show that they're fine with the idea.

"Alright, but are you gonna be fine going on the rides after eating that?" Ann asked Morgana. "It's in the middle of a business area, but it has some pretty hardcore rides."

"Fear not, Lady Ann! I'm sure I can handle any ride that comes my way!" Morgana said with a prideful tone.

"Ohh man, you really think you have a chance don'tcha cat?" Ryuji tried to hold back his laughter. 

"More of one than a dumb ape!" Morgana shouted.

"Will both of you please shut up…" Ann pouted with a defeated tone.

It was then that another man came out of the hall. He had semi-long brown hair and wore a light brown suit with black pants. 

"Excuse me, but are you by chance students of Shujin Academy? I couldn't help but notice your uniforms." He said to the group.

"Yeah. Whaddya want?" Ryuji answered.

"Nothing much. Just thought it would be polite to greet you, we'll be filming together after all." He paused after finishing his last sentence. "Ah, where are my manners, My name is Goro Akechi."

"Akechi huh? You a celebrity?" Ryuji asked.

"I've really only appeared on this TV station a couple times. Oh, but my apologies. I shouldn't be keeping students here. So, you're going to go have cake now?"

The group looked around at each other in confusion. Akechi, reading the room, decided to clarify his statement.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't eat anything earlier and I've grown pretty hungry. I thought I heard you mention something about delicious pancakes."

…

  
  


…

  
  


'What?' Ren's body froze as Akechi said his goodbyes and walked off.

Ryuji and Ann kept talking, it seemed as if they hadn't noticed. Ren had tuned out their conversation as they kept chatting. It felt like Ren's whole reality had slowed down.

'How? The only one who said anything about pancakes was Morgana. That means Akechi can hear him. And that means he's been inside the metaverse!' He kept thinking as he looked back at his teammates. They still hadn't noticed anything wrong.

They looked back at Ren to see his standing completely still. His face was pale white and was clearly expressing signs of fear.

"Ren?" Ryuji asked.

"What's wrong?" Ann added.

Ren popped out his phone and began to text the pair, making sure Morgana's eyes were on the phone as well.

Ren: Did you guys notice that?

Ryuji spoke out loud. "Dude, why're you texting us if we're right here?"

Ren ignored it and kept texting.

Ren: I don't want anyone listening in case they're here.

Ann: What are you talking about Ren?

Ren: Akechi

Ryuji: Yeah? What about him?

Ren: He said that he thought he heard something about "delicious pancakes". The only one who ever said something about pancakes was Morgana.

Ryuji: What the eff!?

Ann: That means he can hear him! Has he been in the metaverse!?

Ren: That's the only explanation that makes sense… I don't wanna jump to conclusions but remember that "Black Mask" guy that Madarame was talking about?

Ann: You mean you think Akechi might be that guy?

Ren: It's possible. For now we need to remain careful. Let's let Sumire and Yusuke know when we meet up later.

Ryuji: Alright. Let's at least try to have some fun here to calm us down or something.

The group nodded as they headed to Dome Town.

**June 9th, 20XX - Shibuya Station**

"Alright, Sumire. Are you ready to head home now?" Kasumi asked.

"Umm actually, I think I'm gonna go hang out with some friends!" Sumire responded.

"Friends..? You mean with Ren?" Kasumi questioned.

"Ah- U-ummm yes… We're gonna go to Dome Town for today." Sumire explained with a bright red face.

"Hmm… Tell you what, I'm coming with you!" Kasumi declared, inviting herself along. "I'm friends with him too, so he shouldn't mind if I come too right?"

"I uhh… I suppose not…" Sumire mumbled.

"Great! Let's get going then!" Kasumi cheered.

She was very curious about why Sumire was hanging out with him all the time. She felt this was a good chance to try and figure out the truth. Ren had told her nothing was going on, and while she really wanted to believe him, she had to see it for herself.

As the pair entered the train, Sumire took out her phone and texted Ren.

Sumire: So there might be a small issue…

Ren: What's up?

Sumire: Kasumi has invited herself along with us.

Ren: Oh. It's alright. We'll just have to avoid talking about thief stuff while she's around.

Sumire: Alright! See you soon Senpai!

The conversation ended as the pair left on their way to the theme park.

**June 9th, 20XX - Dome Town**

After feeling creeped out by what happened earlier, the group decided not to indulge in any pancakes, and instead went for an American-style barbecue place that was close by.

"Oh man… everything looks so good!" Ryuji yelled as he was looking over the menu. The group was standing by the entrance while waiting for the others.

"Just be sure not to go overboard…" Ann warned him.

After they stood outside for a couple minutes, Yusuke appeared and joined them, followed by Kasumi and Sumire.

"Sorry we're late!" Sumire tried to apologize.

"Trust me it's alright. And hey Kasumi!" He greeted the pair.

"Hi Ren! Thanks for letting me come along. Sumire told me about your plan and I just couldn't resist!" She explained in her usual cheery self.

"The more the merrier eh?" Ren joked.

"Why don't you introduce me to everyone. I already met uhhh… Yamamoto, was it?" Kasumi asked.

Ren and Ann laughed as Ryuji sighed and looked down in defeat

"Alright well, this is Ann Takamaki." He looked over at Ann who smiled and waved at Kasumi.

"So you're Kasumi Yoshizawa! Your sister talks about you a lot." Ann greeted the girl.

"Not that much!" Sumire tried to explain with a small blush on her face.

"Well it's nice to meet you Takamaki-senpai!" Kasumi greeted Ann.

"And this is Yusuke Kitagawa. He actually goes to Kosei and not Shujin." Ren explained.

Yusuke's attention however, didn't move from the menu.

"Uhhh… Yusuke?" Ryuji asked.

"Ahh yes! My apologies, this cut of pork was perfectly symmetrical. It was beautiful! I couldn't take my eyes off it!" Yusuke explained before looking back at the picture of meat.

"Uhhh…" Kasumi stuttered. "Charmed..."

"Alright well, everyone's here so let's go eat!" Ren led the group inside.

After talking with the waitress, they were led to the back with a somewhat large booth with seats on both sides. They were large enough for three on each side. Yusuke took the first seat, against the wall on the right side. Kasumi followed and took the first seat on the left against the wall.

"Hey Ren! Come sit next to me!" Kasumi patted the seat next to her.

Ren felt a little embarrassed as he climbed into the seat next to her.

Ryuji was about to sit by Ren, when a speeding blur of red took his spot.

Sumire, almost instinctively jumped into the seat beside Ren.

Ryuji sighed and went to the other side to sit next to Yusuke.

Ann followed behind and whispered to Ryuji. "You saw that right? It's kind of adorable, like they're fighting over him!"

Ryuji whispered back. "Man I don't care. Quit talking about your stupid gossip stuff with me."

Ann mumbled to herself. "When will you learn Ryuji…"

The group sat and chatted for a while as they looked over their menus.

"Oh right," Ren interjected. "Everything is on me today, I've been making quite a bit of money recently, so feel free to order whatever you want."

"Such generosity! I truly thank you, my friend!" Yusuke applauded the man sitting across from him.

Ryuji nudged him. "Look I know you don't eat out a lot but it's not that big a deal." 

The two continued to talk and Kasumi looked over at Ren.

"Are you sure about that? I mean, you've seen Sumire eat before right, and I'm no different." She asked.

"I know… it's fine. I got it covered." Ren sighed.

"Wonderful!" Kasumi cheered. While Sumire kept her quiet smile.

After everyone ordered their meal, or in the twins case, meals. They continued their conversation.

"Senpai, you visited the TV station today right? That's actually where our dad works." Sumire explained.

Ren was shocked for multiple reasons. The first is that he somehow missed Shinichi while he was there. The other was that Akechi had mentioned visiting the station before as well. If Akechi knew their family, and he really was involved with the metaverse, they could be in danger.

"Hey Sumire," he whispered. "Do you know Goro Akechi?" He asked.

Sumire paused before answering. "Well, we met him once or twice while visiting our dad at work. We don't really _know_ him, per se. What about it?"

"I'll explain later, it's just, I need you to do something." He told her.

"What is it?" Sumire asked.

"Try to keep you and your sister away from him." Ren explained with a dead serious expression on his face.

Sumire nodded as she looked back at him. "I don't quite understand but… Of course. I'll try."

"Thanks, I'll tell you more about it later, let's just try and have some fun today." Ren tried to lighten the mood.

Sumire nodded as they both returned to the conversation at the table.

After a while, the food had arrived as they were all starving.

Ren had a New York Strip, while Ryuji had the "Texas Burger." Ann just ordered a salad, while Yusuke tried to order the "Symmetrical Pork" he saw on the menu. Needless to say, he was devastated when the pork turned out to be less than symmetrical.

However, nothing came close to what the Yoshizawa's had ordered. They counted five plates each of different kinds of meats, and each with a different side. Not only that, but somehow, they managed to finish all of them before anyone else had finished theirs.

"Ya know, I'm really just not surprised anymore." Ryuji commented.

"How mesmerizing!" Yusuke was stunned.

Ann just sighed as he kept eating while Ren tried to tease them about it, causing them both to turn red.

When they were finished, Ren paid the bill and they headed over to the main park.

_____________________________________

"Uh, Lady Ann. Remember earlier when I said that I was gonna tackle any ride?" Morgana began as he looked up at the extremely high roller coaster above them.

"It's fine, I know." Ann didn't want to let him finish.

"You know, I'm not too sure about going on these either, we just ate a ton and I don't wanna throw up everywhere…" Ryuji mumbled.

"Ryuji you might actually be ri-" Ren began before getting cut off.

"Nope! I'm going and you're coming with me Ren!" Kasumi demanded.

"If Senpai's going I'm going too!" Sumire shouted.

Kasumi smirked. "You'll have to catch me if you wanna sit by him though." She grabbed Ren's arm and ran towards the tall coaster, dragging him along with her.

"Kasumi!" Sumire shouted as she ran after them.

In the end, Ren had to go on the coaster around 8 times. Each time he ended up sitting next to the other sister as they wanted to ride it over and over.

"Okay, I'm done. Once more and I think I'm gonna throw up." Ren gagged as he spoke.

"Awww, at least we had fun though! I'm gonna go to the restroom real quick. You two wait for me okay!" Kasumi said as she ran towards the nearest restroom.

Sumire realized that now that her sister is gone, she can ask what he meant earlier.

"Senpai… what did you mean earlier when you said to stay away from Akechi-san?" Sumire asked.

"Well, we met him for the first time earlier, he seemed nice at first, but then he said something strange…" Ren explained.

"What'd he say?" Sumire asked.

"He brought up pancakes." Ren answered.

"Pancakes? You think he's dangerous because he likes pancakes?" Sumire giggled a little.

"No, it's the fact that he said he heard us talk about pancakes, but the only one who said anything about them was Morgana."

Sumire gasped. "Wait, that means he can understand him. He's been to the metaverse!" 

"That's what we think too. Until we know who he really is, I think it would be best if we tried to keep our distance. Madarame did mention another metaverse user who was doing whatever they wanted…" Ren explained.

"I understand. I'll try to keep us away from the studio until we know more about him." Sumire said.

"Thanks."

As they finished, Kasumi returned from the restroom. "Alright! Who's ready to go on another ride!?" She yelled.

Ren sighed as Sumire smiled and nodded. The group spent the rest of the day in the park before heading home after dark. They had another day of the trip tomorrow. If Ren encountered Akechi again, what would happen? He played out many different scenarios in his mind as he fell asleep that night.


	14. A Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren spends time with Sumire and Kasumi. He is shocked to hear someone's opinion on the Phantom Thieves

With another month, came another palace. Around the middle of June, the Phantom Thieves met their next target. A man named Junya Kaneshiro was the head of a mafia organization located in Shibuya. They had been targeting minors, including students of Shujin to get them to do dirty work for them, only to blackmail them into owing money. The principal of Shujin had tasked student council president, Makoto Niijima to put an end to this, something that would've been impossible given the strict time limit he gave her. She had been suspicious of Ren's group for a while after the Kamoshida incident, but finally figured it out after Ryuji accidentally blew their cover. After negotiating a deal, the thieves promised to target the mafia boss, in exchange for Makoto not leaking their identities. They had some trouble finding the boss, but after some help from a strange reporter and Makoto herself, they managed to get his identity. Not only that, but Makoto was the key to entering the palace. Once inside, Makoto awakened her Persona, Johanna. After this, she officially joined the team under the codename Queen. 

Ren also spent some more time with his friends in the real world. Against his better judgement, he began to hang out with Akechi, per his request. He still didn't completely trust him, but perhaps he could get Akechi to trust him. He continued to hang out with Ann and Ryuji and to his surprise, Ryuji's Persona managed to evolve. He kept that in mind that if he built a stronger bond with his partners in crime, he could evolve theirs as well. Ren also continued to assist Maruki with his research when he could. As well as helping Sojiro at Leblanc.

**June 30th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

Once school had ended for the day, Ren received a text on his phone.

Sumire: Senpai! I was wondering if you would maybe want to go to the lunch room with me? I noticed you always have bread for lunch and I wanted to try something.

Ren: Sure thing. I'm starving so I'm sure it'll be good.

Sumire: Thank you! I'll see you in a little bit.

Ren smiled as he made his way to the lunch room of the school.

"Hey I'm gonna go walk around for a bit. I'm sure you wanna be alone anyways. Just make sure to get me before you leave." Morgana said.

"I got it. Thanks Mona." Ren replied.

Upon entering the lunch room, it was dead silent. Ren saw Sumire sitting at a table near the end, but there wasn't anyone else here. Not even a staff member.

"Oh, hello Senpai." Sumire greeted him upon noticing his arrival.

"Hey, so what's on the menu?" Ren asked.

"Actually, quite a few things. I made some pork, chicken, shrimp, a special rice dish," Sumire kept going on and on about all the different things she had made.

"Uh, alright. What made you want me to try them though?" Ren asked.

Sumire's face went a little red. "W-well you made food for me and the others a few times and I wanted to repay the favor…" 

Over the last few months, one of Ren's favorite pastimes has become trying to tease Sumire. He didn't know why, but when he did she would always light up and get embarrassed. Ren saw the opportunity and decided not to waste it.

"You know, I wouldn't mind cooking for you everyday…" He said in a suave voice.

Sumire's light red turned into a full blown tomato face.

"S-s-senpai! Don't joke about t-that!" She yelled.

Ren couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Sorry not sorry." He whispered. "Anyways, why didn't you see if Kasumi wanted some?"

"Kasumi isn't what I'd call a "culinary expert"." Sumire tried to explain.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"She's kinda like a black hole of food." Sumire said.

"And you aren't?" Ren teased.

"Senpai! What I mean is that Kasumi really doesn't care what it tastes like, she'll eat it anyways." Sumire said.

"Ahh so you're more of a picky eater." Ren nodded his head.

"I-I guess you could say that… A-anyways, here. You need to try these." She handed Ren a bento filled with the different things she tried to make.

"It looks good!" He smiled as he began to eat.

'Huh? It kinda tastes like curry?' He thought as he bit into the pork. 'Let me try the chicken.' he took a bite of that as well. 'Curry again?'.

Soon enough, Ren had tried everything. They all had the taste of curry strangely enough.

"W-well how did you like it?" She asked.

"It's good, but they all tasted like curry." He explained.

"Well, I did put curry flavoring in all of it." Sumire stated.

"Wait what? Why?" He asked as he started to laugh.

"W-well you know, you seem to really like curry so I wanted it to taste good for you…" She mumbled.

"Sumire, I can guarantee you that anything you could've made, I would've liked." He gave her a smile.

"Really? Thank you Senpai. You always know how to cheer me up." Sumire smiled in return.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 6_ **

After cleaning up a bit, Ren asked Sumire if she wanted to go hang out for a little while. She agreed and the pair spent the rest of the day together.

_ A few weeks later… _

**July 11th, 20XX - Shibuya Station**

  
  


"Hey Ren!" A voice called out behind him.

Ren turned around to see Kasumi running his way, coming out from the station platform.

"Hey Kasumi, what's going on?" Ren asked.

"I-I wanted to know if you were free this afternoon? I wanted to talk a little and I thought I could show you some gymnastics while we're at it." She said while gasping for air. It seemed as if she was running for a while to catch up.

"Yeah that's fine wi-" Ren was cut off.

"Oh? Ren? And… Yoshizawa-san?" A voice asked.

A chill went down Ren's spine. He turned around to see no one but Goro Akechi, the last person he would want to see him hanging out with Kasumi. He still was wary of Akechi. His first interaction with him never left his mind. Akechi knew more than he led on.

"Oh Akechi-san?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes, it has been a long time since we met. I'm surprised you remember me, to be honest." Akechi said.

"Well, you're on the news all the time." Kasumi explained.

"That is true I suppose. I just overheard that you were going to hang out for a while? Mind if I join you? How about we go to a cafe I've been frequenting as of late?" Akechi proposed his idea.

'No. Definitely not.' Ren screamed in his head. He told Sumire to try and keep Kasumi and herself away from Akechi. He would be a hypocrite if he didn't try to keep her safe as well.

"That sounds good to me! What about you, Ren?" Kasumi looked over at him with a smile.

'Shit. God damnit. I can't think of a way to get us out of this.' Ren thought. 'All this swearing, I'm starting to feel like Ryuji.'

"A-alright." Ren said with a stomach full of butterflies. 

Akechi then began to guide the two to their destination. All the while Ren was running many different scenarios all throughout his head. 'What if he really is the Black Mask guy? Kaneshiro mentioned him too. We have reason to believe that he could be the cause of the mental shutdowns. What if he tried that on us? Or worse, on Kasumi?' he began to shake as he kept walking. A sight that he would hate for his teammates to see.

"Hm?" Kasumi looked over and could tell that something was troubling him. "Ren are you okay?" She asked as she grabbed his arm and put her other hand up to his forehead.

This action made Ren's face instantly turn from a fear-induced white to an embarrassed red. "I-I'm alright. Thanks for worrying about me though." He answered.

"Feel free to tell me if something's troubling you. I don't want our talks to be a one way deal, you know?" She said in a concerned voice.

"Here we are." Akechi announced. In front of them was a cafe that was covered in many french signs. They had coffee, sweets, and many other kinds of French cuisine. The group placed their orders and sat outside on a round table.

"How come you seemed to get a hot drink, Yoshizawa-san? It's getting rather hot outside don't you think?" Akechi asked in a curious tone.

"Well, I need to keep my body temperature up for practice. Competition season is really heated up as of late." She explained.

"What about your drink Akechi?" Ren asked, still trying to assess the situation.

"I simply think it tastes the best." He said in a cocky voice.

"I'm surprised you didn't get any sweets. I see you with them all the time on TV." Kasumi told Akechi.

"It's just a marketing ploy to make me look appealing to the general public." Akechi explained.

"I feel betrayed!" Ren said in a sarcastic tone. Whenever Ren felt nervous, he would always try to crack a joke.

"Awww, you're so innocent Ren!" Kasumi teased him.

"Yes well, I'm surprised you fell for it in the first place." Akechi said. "Didn't you say that you had talks with Ren here, Yoshizawa-san?" 

"Yes! We've become pretty close over the last couple months." She explained.

"Then how about I ask you the same question I first asked him." Akechi said.

Ren lifted his head up to listen to this. If he remembered correctly, the first thing Akechi asked him about was his opinion on the Phantom Thieves. Regardless of what she was about to say, Ren was curious if it would change if she knew that he and her sister were members of the group.

"What do you think about the Phantom Thieves?" He asked.

Kasumi sat in silence and thought for a moment. After a few seconds, it seemed she had reached her answer.

"Well, assuming they do actually exist. I do appreciate that they are helping people, but honestly…"

'Here it comes.' Ren thought.

"I don't think they go far enough." She stated.

'What? Did I hear that right?' Ren thought as he looked back at Kasumi.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Well, the people they've made confess were truly horrible criminals. And especially after seeing what Kamoshida did at our own school, I think it might be better to remove them from society entirely…" she explained.

Ren's eyes widened. That's the last thing he thought Kasumi would ever say. 'She'd be fine with killing them? I understand that they're horrible, but…'

"So you'd be fine with the Phantom Thieves killing them? Quite a bold stance. You know, I've been thinking that the recent mental shutdown incidents could be perpetrated via similar means to the Phantom Thieves. If the Phantom Thieves began to kill their targets, what would make them so different from someone who caused the mental shutdowns?" Akechi asked.

"Well, it seems that the mental shutdowns are targeting random citizens. Most of them seem to be regular people. I think that whoever is committing them is someone the Phantom Thieves should target." Kasumi continued. "If the Phantom Thieves began to shutdown their targets, they would still be disposing of horrible criminals."

Akechi began. "I see, so if it's an awful criminal, you think it could be acceptable."

"I guess so." Kasumi said.

Ren wasn't sure what to make of this. He supposed it didn't matter so long as she didn't know the truth of the Phantom Thieves. He wondered what Sumire would think of her sister saying something like that… 'Wait… shit! I forgot to tell Sumire that Akechi is with us!' Ren reached into his pocket, grabbed his phone, and began to text Sumire.

Ren: Hey so, I kinda messed up…

Sumire: What do you mean Senpai?

Ren: Well, I'm kinda sitting at a cafe with Kasumi and Akechi right now…

Sumire: Akechi-san!? Ren you need to get yourself and Kasumi out of there! You both could be in danger and if something happened to either of you…

Ren: I know. I'm sorry, I'll try and get us out of here as soon as I can.

Ren looked up from his phone to see the table sitting in silence. Akechi was staring at his phone like he was a moment ago and Kasumi was fiddling with her hair.

"Alright well, Kasumi why don't we get out of here. We have plans don't we?" Ren said in an extremely fast tone.

"Do we? I thought we were-" She was cut off by Ren grabbing her hand, making her face go pink.

"Yep! Sorry to leave on such short notice Akechi, but I'll see you later. Bye!" Ren said as he and Kasumi quickly left the cafe and returned to the station.

"Where are we going Ren?" Kasumi asked.

"I thought of an activity that might help reduce some stress while we talk. It's in Yongen so why don't we get going?" Ren explained.

"Alright. I guess it'll be nice to talk with just the two of us." She smiled as she entered the train with Ren.

**July 11th, 20XX - Batting Cages**

"The batting cages?! I used to come here all the time with Sumire and Dad! This'll be fun!" She cheered as she realized where Ren was leading her.

"I'm glad you seem to like this place. Let's get going then." Ren said as the pair entered the building.

Ren talked to the man behind the counter as Kasumi looked around the room, feeling nostalgia for the time she spent with her family here.

"Ren. I want you to watch me hit a ball." She demanded.

"Sure but, why..?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I used to have my family do it all the time…" She explained.

As she said this, Ren wondered if his teasing trick on Sumire would also work on Kasumi.

"Ah, so you want it to feel like I'm part of your family?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. "I mean, I'd be glad to join you know…"

He quickly realized his mistake when he heard Kasumi's response.

"Maybe, but who're you gonna join us through? Me or Sumire?" She asked in a more teasing-sounding voice than Ren could ever hope to conjure up.

Ren's face lit up as red as he's seen Sumire get from time to time.

'Maybe that's why Sumire gets so embarrassed all the time…' He thought.

The pair took turns trying to hit the ball. Sometimes they managed to bunt it, but there wasn't much success in the attempt to get a home run.

* _ Ding* _

"No way! Ren I did it! Did you see!?" Kasumi yelled.

"I did! Good job!" He yelled back.

She giggled. "Thanks Ren. You know I really have a lot of fun when I'm hanging out with you, maybe that's why Sumire's with you all the time… Are you sure there's nothing  _ going on _ between you two?" Kasumi asked.

"No, like I said. We're just friends." Ren sighed.

"Well, in that case…" Kasumi mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing…" Kasumi hummed. "Thank you so much for today, let's hang out again soon okay?" She asked.

"I'd be happy to." Ren smiled in return.

**_Charity Confidant - Rank 5_ **

"Let me walk you to the station." Ren suggested.

"Alright! Let's plan our next gymnastics practice on our way!" Kasumi cheered.

The two eventually split off once they reached the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give Kasumi a very different take on the Phantom Thieves from Sumire's in the game. I always thought that even though she believed she was Kasumi, it was still her opinion deep down. That's why when the question was given to the real Kasumi, I thought it would be more interesting to give her a radically different opinion on the subject.


	15. A Summer Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren joins the twins on a trip to their next competition. Kasumi and Sumire take a big risk.

**July 25th, 20XX - Leblanc Attic**

"So, we're all in agreement that we're going to target Futaba-chan's palace so she can help us take down Medjed?" Makoto asked the group.

Everyone nodded in agreement at the proposal.

"Based on when they claimed "The Cleanse" will take place, we'll need to steal her heart by August 21st." Ren announced.

"About that…" Sumire interrupted.

"What's wrong?" Ren asked out of concern.

"Well, Kasumi and I have a competition that we're gonna be traveling out of town for on the 13th. So… would it be at all possible for us to steal the treasure before then?" She asked.

"That's fine with me if everyone else is okay with it?" Ren looked around and was met with everyone's approval.

The team had gotten much better at handling their time in the Metaverse. They had gotten to the point where they could clear palaces in a single day (assuming there's no barriers that need to be broken in reality). 

"Alright, let's get in there!" Ryuji shouted as the team began their infiltration of the Pyramid of Wrath.

**August 10th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Kasumi had been mentally preparing for her competition coming up. She had been having some trouble maintaining her consistent results as of late, but hanging out and talking with Ren had made her feel a lot better about how they were going to go. She had to make sure her performance was as best as it could be for this competition. Coach Hiraguchi was going to be watching, and she definitely didn't want to lose to Sumire. She had gotten everything she thought she needed ready. She had a good luck charm that she bought from a shrine, her lucky ribbon that she won at a festival when she was 11, and a photo of her and her family after she had won her first competition.

'Let's see… is there anything else that could make me feel more motivated to perform…' She thought. She caught herself as her mind immediately went to think about Ren.

'Ha. Right? As if… there's no way I could bring him along…. Wait… could I?" She questioned herself in her head.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try…" she whispered to herself.

"Hey dad!" She yelled as she came downstairs to meet with her father.

"What is it, honey?" Shinichi asked.

"I was wondering… would it be at all possible if I maybe brought a friend with us to the competition?" She asked hesitantly.

'No..! There's no way he could come. He's probably busy with something else anyways. I doubt dad will allow it either way.'

"I don't see why not? We do have an extra seat in the car. Just be sure that they're prepared for a week long stay, and that their parents are okay with it." Shinichi told Kasumi.

"Really!? Alright! Thank you dad!" She hugged her father before she dashed upstairs to call and ask Ren.

" _ Kasumi? What's up? _ " Ren asked as he answered the call.

"Are you busy from the 13th to the 20th?" She immediately asked.

" _ I don't think I have anything planned. Why? _ " Ren was curious why she was asking about such a long span of time.

"Well… me and Sumire have a competition coming up and my dad said that if you and Sakura-san are okay with it, you could come with us!" Kasumi announced with an excited tone.

" _ That sounds great! I'll ask the old guy as soon as he gets back in a bit. _ " Ren assured her.

"Awesome! I can't wait for you to see it! I'll text you the details so everything will be set in stone. Bye Ren!" She hung up and sighed a sigh of relief.

A few hours later, Sumire arrived home as Kasumi ran over to tell her the good news.

"Sumire! Guess what!?" Kasumi yelled at her sister in a very excited tone.

"W-what is it?" Sumire was startled by her sister's obvious hyper attitude.

"I asked dad if it was okay, and it sounds like Ren can come with us this week for the competition!" She announced triumphantly.

Sumire's face grew brighter and brighter red as each second passed.

"A-are you serious?" Sumire asked in a quiet voice.

"Yep! Just waiting to hear back from him if he got Sakura-san's approval." Kasumi answered.

Sumire dashed to her room right after hearing her sister confirm it.

'Senpai is coming!? Oh no! What if I mess up in front of him!? He might make fun of me! No wait he wouldn't do that… But he'll tease me for it and I know I can't take it! I'll need to be as sure as I could ever be that I won't mess up this time!' She kept thinking about all the different scenarios for hours as Kasumi continued to check her phone in her room for Ren's confirmation.

Ren: Good news! Sojiro agreed to it! But I need to tell him the details.

Kasumi: That's great! We're going to be leaving on the morning of the 13th. The competition is gonna be at a highschool in a city called Iwatodai. We'll be staying at an inn for a couple days before the competition begins on the 18th. It'll run for 2 days and then we'll come back on the 20th. Is that all he needed?

Ren: Yep! Sounds good. I'll get ready over the next couple days.

Kasumi: Great! We'll come pick you up to take you at around 8 in the morning on the 13th. So be ready by then!

Ren: Alright. See you soon then.

Kasumi: Yep! See you in a couple days Ren!

_ Meanwhile at Leblanc… _

"You gonna come too, Morgana?" Ren asked as he let his partner know about his trip.

Morgana shrugged as best as he could with his feline body. "Nah, I don't think you'll need me out there. Plus, someone's gotta stay here to keep checking in on Futaba while she's out cold."

"Alright, well I guess I better decide what to bring. You'll help me pack, won't you?" Ren said.

The cat sighed as he began helping Ren get his stuff ready for his trip in just a few short days.

**August 13th, 20XX - Leblanc**

With the sound of the door opening, Ren knew his ride had arrived.

"Hey Ren, get down here it's time for you to get going!" Sojiro called for him from downstairs.

Ren grabbed his bag and said his goodbyes to Morgana as he walked downstairs to see Shinichi standing next to someone he hadn't met yet. 

She was a woman of average height, with long red hair. She wore a sun hat with a long white and sky-blue dress. Based on her appearance and the ring around her finger, he assumed it must have been his wife.

"Hello Amamiya-san! I don't believe you've met my wife and the girl's mother, this is Ichika Yoshizawa." Shinichi introduced her to him.

"Ah so you're the Ren boy they won't stop talking about! So nice to finally meet you, I want to thank you for saving my daughter's life all those months ago. I hope you know I'll be pelting you with questions while we head over to Iwatodai. It's going to be a fairly long ride you know…" She told him.

"Please! It's nice to meet you ma'am." Ren said politely.

"Alright well, isn't it about time you all get going?" Sojiro interrupted the conversation.

"Ah yes! Well, let's go Ren. The girls are waiting for you in the car." He said as he led Ren out to see the vehicle.

He popped the trunk and sat Ren's bag inside as Ren opened the door to see Kasumi and Sumire sitting on each side.

"Ren!"

"Hello Senpai!"

"Hey, you two." Ren stopped and thought for a moment. "Umm, where am I going to sit?" He asked.

"Oh, here you go." Kasumi got out and pushed Ren inside as he sat in a slightly smaller seat located between where Sumire was sitting and where Kasumi sat as she re-entered the car. He felt a little squished as the size of the seat he was in forced him to be held against both of their shoulders. He looked over and saw Sumire growing a little red, while Kasumi simply sat with a smile.

In the row ahead of him he watched as Shinichi climbed inside on the driver's side, while Ichika sat in the passenger's seat.

"So Ren-kun, when did you meet my daughters? I remember they talked a lot about you when they came home…" She began to ask him a million questions including but not limited to, his grades, the career path he wanted to follow, if he had a girlfriend (which caused both girls to stare at him as he swiftly answered no), and which of the two girls he  _ liked _ the most. (A question he managed to narrowly avoid by using the speaking skills he learned from Yoshida.)

They drove down the roads as they continued to have a conversation about many different things on their way to Iwatodai.

**August 13th, 20XX - ???**

Ren was extremely tired. They had been in the car all day and they still hadn't made it to Iwatodai. He stopped paying attention to where they were a couple hours ago, as he grew too tired to even check the map. They stopped at an inn in a small town that was on the way.

"Alright. Ren, you'll be in room 28, Kasumi and Sumire will be in room 30, and we'll be in room 37. Let's meet back in the lobby around 8 tomorrow morning." Shinichi said before the group split off.

Upon arriving in his room, Ren crashed almost immediately. He wasn't used to driving for so long and his body had almost given out. He managed to brush his teeth and change, but after setting his futon out, he immediately fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in room 30, Kasumi and Sumire were as awake as ever.

"Oh man! I can't wait to get there tomorrow! There's a ton of places I wanna visit before the competition starts!" Kasumi said as she set her stuff aside.

Sumire nodded. "Yeah! I heard about some restaurants I wanna visit. It'll be fun with you and Senpai there."

Kasumi smirked at her sister's comment. "Senpai! Oh senpai!" She began to mock her sister. "Admit it! You like him!" Kasumi jabbed.

Sumire glowed red. "Yeah well… you do too so you aren't any better than me!" She yelled back.

"Maybe~ but I'm definitely better at hiding it!" She continued to taunt her sister.

They continued to bicker as the night went on. Eventually they realized it was about 1 in the morning.

"It's so late… but honestly I'm not really tired." Sumire said.

"Me too… hey~ I just thought of something that could help get all this energy out." Kasumi began.

"What is it?" Sumire asked.

"Let's try and sneak into Ren's room!" Kasumi announced her idea.

"W-w-what!? No way! What would happen if he woke up-p? O-or worse, if mom or dad found out?!" Sumire stuttered as she tried to talk her sister out of it.

"Oh come on! It'll be fun! Nothing will happen. I swear it!" Kasumi kept pleading.

'I guess I can't talk her out of this… hopefully my Phantom Thief skills will carry over…' Sumire thought as she ended up following her sister out into the hall.

They walked for a while until approaching Ren's door.

"Alright here it is. Room 28. You ready?" Kasumi looked back at her sister.

"I-I guess…" she mumbled as Kasumi opened the door as quietly as she could.

They began to look around the room before seeing Ren, asleep on the floor. Kasumi waved her hand over his face to ensure he was asleep before giving a thumbs up to her sister to assure that the coast was clear.

"W-well what did you want to do in here anyways..?" Sumire asked her sister.

"You know… I'm not really sure. I just heard this is something that highschoolers do." She answered honestly.

"You mean you came in here for no reason!?" Sumire raised her voice before covering her mouth as she remembered that Ren was asleep right next to them.

"Well, we could always look at his stuff." Kasumi said.

"What do you mean?" Sumire asked.

"Like, his clothes and stuff. We can see what looks good, and what should get thrown into the garbage." Kasumi joked.

Kasumi then began to open his suitcase and started to look around inside. She looked through many different shirts and threw them into two different piles. After lifting up the last one however, she was met with something she didn't exactly want to see at the moment. It was a pair of boxers that Ren kept underneath his stuff. Kasumi quickly dropped the suitcase's top, causing a loud *Thump!*

They looked over at Ren, who appeared to be stirring awake. Kasumi looked frantically at Sumire, whose face was lighting up like a firework.

"Come on! Let's go!" Kasumi said in a pretty loud whisper before dashing out of the room and back to theirs.

"I-I u-uh-ummm" Sumire was frozen in embarrassment.

At that moment, Ren's eyes opened to see Sumire standing over him.

"Wha- Sumire?" He said in a groggy voice. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he stood up and turned on the lights.

"I um- you see- K-Kasumi suggested that we come here a-and…" She began to try and explain before realizing that it was pointless.

Ren's face began to glow pink. "I-I'm not mad, you know? I'm just worried that you got caught by someone else…" he said as he referred to her parents.

"They probably don't know! They usually crash as soon as they get in bed. Plus, their room is a pretty decent distance from ours." Sumire explained.

"Alright well, I'm glad you came to visit me I guess?" Ren said.

"M-me too, I suppose." Sumire said as the two began to look awkwardly away from each other as the red on their faces grew brighter.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 7_ **

  
  


"Hm?" Ren sounded as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He stood up and walked over to his suitcase as he realized it had been opened. He lifted it up to see his boxers out on top, something he was sure that he didn't do when he packed.

He looked back and saw Sumire covering her face with her hands. Suddenly, the blush on his face was replaced with a large smirk.

"You know… if you wanted these… you could've just asked." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"SENPAI!" Sumire screamed loud enough that the entire building could hear her. She quickly ran out of the room and back into hers. Upon entering, she saw Kasumi was out cold on one of the futons. Sumire immediately realized how much that visit to Ren's room took out of her, as she quickly laid down and fell asleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple chapters are all going to be during the trip so expect a lot of fluff for the time being! Who knows... Something exciting might happen during their stay...


	16. A Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumire and Kasumi's competition begins. The group spends some time in Iwatodai.

**August 14th, 20XX - ??? Inn**

Ren woke back up around 6:45 in the morning. He took a shower and repacked his things, that were all over the floor for some reason? When all was said and done, it was around 7:15. He knew he still had some time left as they weren't going to meet back up in the lobby until 8. With his spare time, Ren decided to go get some breakfast at the vending machines downstairs. He got some bread, and canned coffee (which he thought tasted like dirt water after having Sojiro's for a few months). He took a seat at the bench beside them and began to eat.

_Phantom Thieves Group Chat_

Ren: Any word on Futaba's condition?

Makoto: Boss hasn't let us know yet. Morgana has been keeping an eye on her though.

Ann: I'm sure everything will be alright! She probably just needs some time to rest before being able to help us out.

Yusuke: I'm in agreement with Ann. I have no doubts about this working, especially after the last two times.

Ryuji: Totally! Don't worry about it man! You and Sumire just need to enjoy your vacation!

Ren: Well it's not entirely a vacation for her…

Ann: Where is she anyways? She hasn't said a word.

Ren: She's probably still getting ready. Keep us updated.

Makoto: We will. Now go have fun!

Ren smiled at his friend's words. They've been going through many different struggles over the past few months, but for some strange reason, their positive attitudes haven't been discarded.

"U-um hey Ren… senpai." He heard a voice whisper.

He looked over to see Kasumi, who looked way out of her comfort zone. He wasn't looking at him in the eyes as normal and instead averted her gaze away. Also, she called him "Ren-senpai?" In the entire time Ren has known her, she never referred to him with any honorifics. 

"What's up? Is everything okay?" He asked.

"I-I just wanted to apologize for what happened last night. It was my idea and I kinda ditched Sumire and ran off when you were waking up. I'm really sorry for causing you that trouble." Kasumi tried to apologize for what happened in Ren's room last night. After the twins had woken up in the morning, Kasumi received an earful from Sumire about what she did.

Ren was surprised to hear her say that. She was always confident in what she did. But now, she looked more like how her sister normally acted.

"It's alright! R-really… I'm not mad or anything. It was just kinda weird ya know." Ren accepted her apology.

"Really!? Thanks Ren! Hey, what did you get for breakfast anyways!? That looks great!" She began.

'And back to our regularly scheduled program…' Ren sighed, but still had a small smile knowing she was back to her regular self again.

"So what did you wanna do when we get there today?" Ren asked Kasumi.

"Well… there's plenty of stores and restaurants I wanna go to. We have plenty of time before the competition starts on the 18th." She explained.

"Oh right, the competition." Ren was reminded. "How is that gonna work anyways?"

"Well, on the first day, they start with about 30 of us. Then, on day 2, they cut down to about 10. Once they've gone. They do one more between the final 2, and the one who has the highest score wins!" Kasumi explained.

"Alright, feeling confident? I know Sumire's been practicing a lot lately. Are you sure you can take her?" He teased.

"Yep!" She nodded. "I've got my four lucky charms with me."

"And what are those?" Her comment piqued his curiosity. Was Kasumi really the kind of person that believed in luck?

"Well not as much luck, more so, things that mean a lot to me. Like, emotional support." 

Ren thought that explained it. 

"The first one is a charm I bought from a shrine. We always like to buy them before competitions. The second one is this!" She pointed at the crimson ribbon that tied her hair into a ponytail. "It's a ribbon that I won during a festival. We had to shoot the cans down with the toy gun. I ended up winning this as the second place prize. I guess that's where my determination to always get first came from." She giggled. Ren couldn't help but smile seeing how a festival game was the source of her motivation. "The third one is a framed photo of my family. It was taken the day I had won my first competition. I was so happy that I burst into tears. It's actually what got Sumire into gymnastics too!" 

That caught Ren off guard. 

"I remember how she came up to me after my first win and said "I'm gonna do gymnastics too! I wanna be just like you!" Ren looked over to see a small tear forming in her eye. "I might only be older by less than an hour, but it really made me feel like a great older sister."

She paused for a moment before Ren decided to ask.

"And what about number four?" He asked in a soft voice.

Kasumi looked over and smiled before giving him a tiny hit to the arm.

"It's a pretty aloof friend of mine with black hair and fake glasses who is so oblivious, it hurts.." She said in a sarcastic voice.

Ren was taken back by her comment before asking, "What do you mean oblivious?"

"Nothing~" she hummed.

**_Charity Confidant - Rank 6_ **

"Oh, it's about time we meet back up in the lobby. Wanna head out?" Ren asked after checking the time on his phone.

Kasumi nodded as the pair threw away their trash and walked to meet back up with her family. They all got back into the car and continued driving to Iwatodai.

**August 14th, 20XX - Iwatodai Hotel**

"Ohh man! We're finally here." Kasumi said as she stood outside of the hotel and stretched her arms.

"I'm glad that the long ride is over…" Sumire sighed while getting her suitcase out of the back of the car.

"Alright you guys," Shinichi began. "Mom is going to go get the keys. Once you all have dropped off your things, you can go get dinner. You'll be on your own as me and your mother are going out for dinner." He said looking over at his daughters before looking over at Ren. "I trust you'll be sure they stay safe?" He asked.

"Of course." Ren agreed.

"Good! Now here you all are…" Ichika said as she returned and handed out the keys to the three. "Go drop off your things and go eat!"

They nodded as they each headed to their rooms and left their things. After unpacking, they all met in the lobby.

"Where do you guys wanna go?" Ren asked.

"Um," Sumire began. "There's a ramen place that I've heard is really good… could we go there?"

"That's fine with me, what about you Kasumi?" He asked as he turned to face her.

"Yeah! Let's go!" She cheered.

The group took the train and arrived at the station. It was a part of a strip mall with many different stores. Sumire led the way as the group arrived outside of the ramen shop.

"This is it, "Hagakure". She announced as they arrived.

The group entered and placed their orders.

"Good choice, Sumire! This is great!" Ren said as he continued to slurp it down.

"R-really!? Thank you… it really is good." Sumire smiled at Ren's praise.

"Hey I've got an idea!" Kasumi began.

'Here we go…' Ren sighed.

"Let's see who can eat the most bowls! Starting now!" Kasumi began to chow down and ordered another bowl in the meantime.

"I-I won't lose!" Sumire said as she began to slurp it down as well.

After around an hour, they had both tied with around 8 bowls each.

"Sooo gooooooood…" Kasumi hummed.

"I can't take another bite…" Sumire mumbled.

"I really can't take you two anywhere without something like this happening huh…" He said under his breath.

"What was that, Senpai?" Sumire asked.

"Nothing…" He smiled. "Well let's head on back."

Ren ended up having to pay for all their bowls by using the money he made in Mementos. He remembered he should probably thank Jose for raising the amount of money he made in there.

**August 17th, 20XX - Iwatodai Hotel**

A few days have gone by since they arrived in Iwatodai. Ren and the Yoshizawa's had spent some time exploring the town and doing many different activities. They went to a festival and got to see fireworks, while the twins kept eating as much as possible. Ren had headed back into his room for the night, ready to head over to the school in the morning for the start of the competition. Before he fell asleep however, he received a text.

Sumire: Hey senpai?

Ren : What's up Sumire?

Sumire : I was wondering if maybe we could talk a little tonight. I think the nerves are getting to me and I wanted to see if talking could help me calm down.

Ren: Sure thing, wanna meet on the roof?

The hotel had a pool on the roof, however, it was so late that everyone who was there had probably left.

Sumire: Sounds great. I'll see you in a minute.

With that, Ren left to go meet her up on the roof. Upon his arrival, he saw her leaning against the wall that bordered the sides of the building. She was wearing the dress he had bought her for her birthday. It made him happy to see that she still loved it.

"Hello Senpai." She greeted him.

"Hey Sumire, so what did you wanna talk about? You ready to win tomorrow?" He teased her.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not really aiming to win."

"Well why not?" He asked.

"Well, it's because Kasumi always wins." She explained.

"And you're just okay with that? You don't wanna try winning yourself?" He kept pushing.

She shook her head again. "It's not that I wouldn't like to, it's just that, she works so hard, harder than anyone. I just think that she deserves it. I don't really need to get in the way of her dream if it's always to win."

"I thought her dream was for both of you to make it to the top?" Sumire was shocked to hear it come out of Ren's mouth, but he was right. "I mean, she sees you as her rival right? What kind of rival doesn't even try to beat her?"

"You're pretty assertive sometimes, Senpai. But… thank you. You're right! Even if I know I'll probably lose, it's better to go out trying to win!" She cheered up.

"That's the spirit! And I'll be there to cheer you on!" Ren shouted.

Sumire giggled. "You do that and Kasumi will get jealous."

"I'll be cheering for both of you. In the end, I know one of you will win. And you both totally deserve it. You just need to have confidence in yourself, eh Violet?" He teased.

Sumire giggled again, but covered her face which contained a slight blush. "You're right Senpai! I'm gonna try my best to win!"

She took a pause before continuing.

"A-and if I-I do. Um- there's something I want to t-tell you. So p-p-please listen to it! If I win…" Her face appeared to be melting as she tried to get her last statement out.

Ren simply smiled and nodded. "Of course. Now do your best tomorrow!"

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 8_ **

They both nodded and said goodnight as they headed off to their own rooms for the night.

**August 18th, 20XX - Gekkoukan High**

" _Hello ladies and gentlemen!_ " The announcer began. " _I want to start off by welcoming you all to Gekkoukan High School! Where today's youth women's gymnastics tournament will take place! Today's competition is sponsored by the Kirijo Group, which has been sponsoring events at this school for generations!_ "

Ren took a seat next to Shinichi and Ichika in the stands as they watched all the participants line up on the stage. He saw Kasumi wearing her pink leotard while Sumire was in her blue leotard. He noticed that she had her glasses off, which Ren was a little freaked out about at first, as he really only saw her without them in the Metaverse. All the participants began to introduce themselves and the school they were representing.

"I-I'm Sumire Yoshizawa, from Shujin Academy in Tokyo."

"I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa, from Shujin Academy in Tokyo!"

" _It's time to get started, will the first contestant please take the stage?_ " The announcer said.

After around 15 other participants, it was Kasumi's turn. Her performance was filled with striking moves and bold poses, it earned a large cheer from the crowd. 

" _An amazing performance by Kasumi Yoshizawa! Next up, Sumire Yoshizawa!_ "

Sumire took to the stage after her sister had left. She took a deep breath as the music began. She danced elegantly while waving around the ribbon in her hand. The crowd wasn't as loud with her compared to Kasumi, but it was obviously a great performance.

Soon after everyone had gone, they had announced the group of 10 that would be moving on.

"We did it!" Kasumi yelled as she met back with Ren and her family.

"I knew you two could do it." Ren said as he smiled.

"Thank you Senpai!" Sumire cheered.

"I'm so proud of you girls." Shinichi said.

"It's not over yet though, make sure to do your best tomorrow as well!" Ichika said with a wink.

The group decided to head to a fancy buffet for dinner to celebrate. After stuffing their faces with all kinds of things, they headed back to the hotel for the night.

**August 19th, 20XX - Gekkoukan High**

Kasumi and Sumire both performed amazingly in the second round. They had almost no mistakes and received extremely high scores from the judges. Soon, all 10 of the competitors had gone, and they had their final two.

" _And… in the final round of this competition, our two competitors will be… Kasumi and Sumire Yoshizawa! The two sisters will have to face each other to reach the top! Be sure to be back in an hour when the third round begins!_ "

Ren decided to see if he could come down and speak with them before the finals.

"Hey Kasumi." He said as he entered the room she was waiting in.

"Ren! Thanks so much for cheering me on back there!" She said with a smile.

"Please! You're doing great. If you get the win, you totally deserve it." He said.

"If? I will win." She said plainly. "I can't exactly have my rival come out on top can I?" She giggled.

"I guess not." He laughed in return. "Well, I'm gonna go see Sumire now. Good luck!" He said as he walked out of the room.

"I won't need it…" She whispered to herself.

Ren walked over to Sumire's waiting room and knocked before being allowed in.

"H-hey Senpai…" Sumire said in a nervous tone.

"You alright, Sumire?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I-I don't think I can do it…"

"Hey. Remember our talk last night. Sumire, I meant it all that time ago when I said you were one of the strongest people I know. You're able to take on shadows twice your size with no trouble. You can do this. I believe in you." He assured her with a smile.

"Y-you're right Senpai. I can do it!" She said as she calmed her breathing.

"Remember, you said there was something you needed to tell me if you won?" Ren reminded her.

"Uh… yes! If I win, I'll tell you." She said.

"Alright well, I'll look forward to hearing once you _do_ win." Ren said with a smirk.

Sumire giggled as Ren said his goodbyes and moved out of the room.

He took some time to explore the area a little before returning to his seat for the final round.

As it began, Kasumi's name was called up first. She took to the stage and took a deep breath as she began her routine. She jumped across the stage as she swung the ribbon all round with such forceful energy. She made one last leap before the end when- 

She slipped and fell over. It didn't seem to cause any injury, but it definitely cut from her score.

"Damn… it." She whispered under her breath as she left the stage. The judges gave her a score of 7.6, likely due to the points removed from her fall.

Sumire entered the stage next. Like before, she took a large breath before opening her eyes to focus. She began twirling around with ribbon in hand. She almost seemed to glide across the stage. She spun around effortlessly while the ribbon almost seemed to form a shape around her body. Soon enough, she finished by doing the splits while keeping the ribbon over her head.

The crowd cheered as the music ended and the judges counted their scores.

" _And Sumire Yoshizawa's score is… 8.5! We have a winner!_ "

The crowd erupted after the announcement. Confetti was shot all over the room while Ren and her parents stood up and cheered.

'No way…' Kasumi thought.

'I… I did it! I won!' Sumire thought as she gave one of the biggest smiles she had ever had.

Soon, one of the judges came out on stage with a trophy and a microphone. Soon the crowd sat down as he began.

"Congratulations Yoshizawa-san! Your performance was spectacular!" He said as he handed her the trophy.

"T-thank you so much! I'm so happy!" She cheered.

"Well, do you have anybody you wanna give thanks to? If so, please stand up so we can all see." He asked.

"Yes! First I want to thank my mom and dad! They care so much and I couldn't have done it without them." Sumire said.

Ren looked over at Shinichi and Ichika who were now standing and saw Ichika begin to cry while Shinichi tried to calm her down. They waved back at their daughter with smiles on their faces.

Sumire looked over to her side. She saw Kasumi standing there, looking towards the ground.

"I also want to thank my sister. Kasumi was the one who inspired me to join gymnastics in the first place. She's one of the most important people in my life and I love her." She said while looking over at Kasumi.

Kasumi looked up and sighed as she turned her frown into a smile that Sumire happily returned.

"And there's one more person I want to thank." She began. "I want to thank my senpai, Ren, for all that he's done for me. He saved my life and I'll never forget it. He's always been supportive of me and my sister and I feel like he's the first real friend I've ever had…"

Ren felt embarrassed as he stood up and looked around at the crowd hearing "awws" as she continued.

_**Faith Confidant - Rank 9** _

"So that's why… there's something I need to say…"

Everyone's eyes widened as she said that. Sumire's face had gone tomato before she continued.

"I-I…" she paused. 

"Oh screw it!"

"I LOVE YOU REN-SENPAI!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy.


	17. A Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sumire's big win, the group heads to a ball hosted by the Kirijo Group.

**August 19th, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Wha-?" Yusuke gasped as he heard what just came from the TV.

The rest of Ren and Sumire's companions from the Phantom Thieves had gathered in Leblanc to watch the finals of the competition.

"She finally said it huh…" Ryuji said under his breath.

"On live TV? That's insane…" Ann mumbled.

"How did she pull that off?" Makoto asked.

Morgana simply sat on one of the stools and giggled.

Ryuji scoffed. "Lucky bastard… I can't imagine having a girl that likes you so much, she'd confess on live TV."

Morgana's eyes lit up. "Lady Ann… Do you think if I were to-"

"Zip it cat." She said with a cold glare.

**August 19th, 20XX - Gekkoukan High**

"Well isn't that sweet?" The man said while Sumire was still on stage, trying hard to keep her smile up. Ren was still standing, his mouth gaping open at what she just confessed.

"Isn't it convenient that as a part of your victory, you've won three tickets to a special ball in the Kirijo Mansion tonight?" The man cheered as he handed Sumire three sealed envelopes. He then turned back to face the crowd. "Thank you everyone for attending! Let's get one last round of applause for Sumire Yoshizawa!" After the crowd began cheering, Sumire was ushered off the stage and went back to the waiting area.

"Ren…" Ichika began. "You should go see her. We'll go meet up with her in a minute. Regardless of your answer… you have something to tell her, right?"

"Y-yeah." Ren said with a red face. He began to walk down towards the waiting room to see Sumire.

_____________________________________

'She didn't…' Kasumi was still frozen in shock at what her sister just did.

"Kasumi? You should go back to your waiting room to go change." Coach Hiraguchi told her as she approached.

"Y-yes ma'am." She whispered.

She started to walk back to her room.

'I can't believe it… Not only did I lose, but… she managed to tell him before me… what does this mean?' She asked herself before noticing Ren walking down the hall. In a fit of embarrassment, Kasumi hid behind one of the pillars in the hallway. She watched as he continued to walk down the hall.

'Looks like he's going to Sumire's room.' She thought as he approached the door.

"C-come in!" Sumire shouted as he knocked. Ren entered the room while Kasumi followed behind him. After he entered and shut the door, Kasumi held her ear against it to try and listen to their conversation.

"Um, hi." Ren started.

"H-hi." Sumire responded.

There was a pause of awkwardness.

"About what hap-" They both cut off as they realized they were speaking at the same time.

"Oh, you can go first…" Ren said.

"Uh, o-okay." Sumire said.

Sumire paused and took a deep breath. 'This is more nerve-racking than the actual competition…' She thought.

"Senpai I… I meant what I said. That's what I wanted to tell you if I won. I guess I just couldn't hold it in, heat of the moment I guess…" She tried to force a fake chuckle to hide her clear embarrassment.

Before Ren knew it, she had grabbed hold of him and wrapped her arms around his body.

"I-I'm sorry. I understand if you are about to turn me down. I just wanted to see what it would be like…" Her face was buried in Ren's chest.

'Is he doing it!? Did he say no!?' Kasumi thought as she kept listening.

"Listen, Sumire. It's not-" She cut him off.

"I know, it's okay. You don't have to say it." She tried to finish his sentence.

"Oh, damn it Sumire!" He yelled as he pulled her face from his chest.

"This is my answer." He said as he closed the distance between the two. He pressed his lips against hers as he continued to hold her close.

'What's going on?' Kasumi thought as she couldn't see what was happening inside.

"Sumire, I… I love you too." He admitted.

"Really!?" She was startled to hear it.

'Really!?' Kasumi froze as she heard the words come from his mouth.

"Does this mean… we're dating now?" She asked.

"If you want." Ren answered with a smile.

"I do." She pulled him back in as the two spent an intimate moment together.

Kasumi began to walk back to her room. She wasn't crying, nor angry. She just felt a pit in her stomach. She began to change as she arrived back in her room. 'I can't believe it… second place again?'

_____________________________________

Shinichi and Ichika came down to come pick up their daughters. They first approached Kasumi's room. They knocked on her door and entered after hearing a faint. "Come in…"

"You did amazing sweetie!" Ichika gave her a big hug.

"You did wonderfully out there." Shinichi gave her a hug as well.

"...mm" She sounded. "You should be telling that to Sumire…"

"Honey, it's okay that you lost. All it means is that you need to keep trying. You always said that your sister was your rival, and what kind of rivalry only ever has one outcome? So what if she won today? That doesn't mean there won't be a chance to turn things around." He tried to cheer her up.

The distraught look on her face turned into a faint smile. "You're right dad. Thanks…" he returned the hug and the trio left the room. They began walking towards Sumire's room, only for them to see her and Ren walking out together. 

Kasumi shifted her gaze from them as they all saw that Sumire and Ren were holding hands while leaving the room. Sumire was resting her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk, before bumping into everyone else.

Ichika gasped. "Does that mean… you two…!?"

Sumire giggled a little and they both nodded.

"Oh my God I'm so happy for you sweetie!" She came over and gave them both a big hug.

Shinichi gave a small nod. "I know you can take good care of her Ren."

"Thank you sir…" Ren noticed the hug was getting a little tight. "Uhmm… Ichika-san? It's getting a little tight in here…" he mumbled.

Ichika swiftly released the two. "Oh you can just call me Mom now, dearie." She teased.

"MOM!" Sumire's face grew red once again.

Shinichi laughed. "Well let's get going everyone. You have a party you're going to tonight correct?" He asked.

"Oh right!" Sumire was reminded by her father's comment. She removed the three envelopes from her pocket before handing the first one to Ren.

"I guess this'll be our first date, huh?" He asked.

"I-I guess so." She smiled in return.

Sumire then walked over to Kasumi. She held out her hand with one of the invitations.

"Oh… I don't know…" Kasumi mumbled.

"Come on honey. Go have fun." Her father encouraged her.

"Alright. Fine." She took the invitation from her sister's hand.

**August 19th, 20XX - Kirijo Manor**

The trio were lucky that a suit and dress rental store was open before the night. They had no idea that this ball was involved and had they known, likely would've packed some fancy clothes.

Ren was the first to step out of the car. He was wearing a black suit with a black undershirt. He kept a red tie and had red gloves on his hands. He reached into the car and grabbed Sumire's hand to pull her out. She was wearing a dark blue dress with dark heels. She still had her hair down, but decided to go with contacts, instead of her usual glasses tonight.

"You're looking beautiful tonight." Ren said with a newfound confidence to his girlfriend.

"Thank you Senpai. Today really is one of the happiest days of my life." She said with a smile.

Behind them came Kasumi, wearing a bright yellow dress. As she approached, the other two gave her a smile. She tried to give on back, but knew it wasn't really in her.

"Well come on, let's go." She said as she led the other two in.

As they entered, the room was filled with guests. They were all seated at the different tables scattered across the room. The trio sat down on a table with three chairs marked with a sign that said "Sumire Yoshizawa." Ren pulled out Sumire's seat and let her sit down before grabbing his and Kasumi's and pulling them down as well.

"Thanks…" Kasumi said.

"No problem."

"Attention Everyone!" A voice cut through the crowd. It seemed that an employee of the manor was making an announcement. "I'm glad to welcome you all to the Kirijo Manor tonight for this special evening. Dinner will be served shortly, followed by a dance. Tonight's dance will be special as we have a surprise guest here to perform."

'A surprise guest? I wonder who that'll be…' Ren pondered.

"Will you please come introduce yourself…" His hand gestured to the side of the stage.

Soon, a woman with brown hair, tied into two pigtails came onto the stage. She had brown-ish eyes and wasn't very tall. She wore a hot pink dress with pink heels.

"'Wait… isn't that…' Ren thought before getting cut off.

"Hello everyone! It's me Risette! I'm going to be performing tonight so please get excited!" She yelled.

Cheers erupted from the hall. Ren had heard of her before, but never actually listened to any of her songs. Surprisingly, one of the audible cheers came from Kasumi.

"Are you a big Risette fan?" He asked.

"Yep! I own every album. She's amazing!" Kasumi hummed. Seeing her idol for the first time definitely helped her mood.

"That's wonderful!" Sumire smiled.

The trio began to eat their dinner as they waiters brought many different courses of the meal. Lobster, steak, lamb, salads, even gourmet ice cream (something that the twins ate a little too much of). 

Soon, the music began as Rise started her first song. " _ True Story _ ". 

"Well?" Ren gestured towards Sumire. "Wanna go dance?"

"Uh- um.. yes!" Sumire said as she stood up and took Ren's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

Kasumi continued to sit at the table, trying to use the music to clear out the feeling in her stomach.

Sumire and Ren continued to dance throughout many different songs. " _ Pursuing My True Self, Shadow World, Reach out to the Truth _ ". Many of Rise's hit songs. 

Soon began a bit of a slow song, " _ Snowflakes _ ". 

"Hey senpai." Sumire leaned into Ren's chest.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I love you. Thank you for staying by my side. Could you keep doing so?" She told him.

"Of course. Anything you want, I'll always be here for you." Ren answered.

**_Faith Confidant - Rank 10_ **

Suddenly, Ren and Sumire felt something. They looked up to see both Arsène and Cendrillon dancing together. After a quick spin caused by Arsène, a blue light shined from Cendrillon. It covered her hole being before disappearing, revealing a new Persona.

"Vanadis…" Sumire whispered.

"You know… it kinda looks like Arsène?" Ren questioned.

"I wonder why." Sumire teased him. "W-wait a second! Did they just see that!?" She looked around at the crowd.

They all seemed to be dancing as if nothing was wrong.

"I guess not. Wanna keep going?" He asked.

"Actually… I need to visit the restroom. I'll be back in a little." She said with a smile as she walked off.

"Alright, see you in a couple minutes." He said as he walked back to the table.

_____________________________________

"Where those… Personas?" A man, who was standing in the back, observing the show asked himself.

"Should we investigate?" A woman beside him asked.

"Let's wait and see. They could be non-hostiles." The man answered.

_____________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slightly shorter chapter. I need a but more time as I believe the next one is gonna be longer. Hope you enjoyed it!


	18. A Detective and an Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren meets a mysterious new face at the party. Kasumi gets a pep talk from her Idol. Sumire blushes x (I lost count)

**August 19th, 20XX - Kirijo Manor**

Soon after Sumire had gone to the restroom, the dance had ended. Ren walked back to his table where he saw Kasumi was sitting. 'She seems sort of out of it?' He thought as he looked over to see her playing with the bits of food that was left on her plate.

"Heeeyyyy Ren..!" She seemed to slur her words.

"Kasumi? Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm toaatally okay!" She answered.

Her face looked way pinker than usual.

'Wait… is she-!?' He thought before tapping a nearby waiter.

"Excuse me, but did anyone serve her any alcohol?" Ren asked.

"Certainly not. We had minors visiting in mind with this party and alcohol was not to be served tonight." They answered before walking away to help other guests.

'Well I guess that answers that question… but why is she acting like this anyways? Is it just the atmosphere?' He pondered.

Soon, Kasumi stood up and moved over to the seat next to Ren.

"You know what Ren? I'm actually really happy for you and Sssumire…" She kept going. "You two seem sooooooooo perfect together." Her tone became more aggressive.

"Uhhh, thanks Kasumi." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Grrrr… You don't understand a thing!" She yelled before walking off.

"Kasumi…" Ren whispered.

Before long, Sumire returned to the table. She looked around, but didn't see her sister anywhere.

"Ren where did Kasumi go?" She asked.

"She ran off towards the dance floor. Though I guess most people are just standing around now that Risette is finished." He answered with a sigh.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" Sumire asked with a hint of concern.

"I'm not sure… she seemed super out of it. And I think she might be mad at me?" He answered honestly.

"Well let's go check it out. Let's not leave her alone." Sumire said.

"You're right. Thanks, Sumire." He said as he stood up and gave her a peck on her forehead.

She smiled, but it caused a little blush on her face as the two made their way over.

Before they reached the dance floor, the announcer had come back on the stage.

"Hello everyone! I want to make a quick announcement that Risette will be having a meet and greet right here! Please line up if you would like to say hello or receive an autograph." He placed the microphone back onto the stand before leaving the stage. Rise came back on with some assistants bringing out a foldable table and chairs. Tons of guests lined up in order to have a chance to meet the idol. Ren and Sumire looked over the line, only to see that one of them was Kasumi.

"Senpai, I'm gonna go check in on her. You wait here okay?" 

Ren nodded as Sumire walked over to check on her sister.

After a couple minutes, Ren got a text on his phone from Sumire.

Sumire: She's alright, if not a little tired. She's gonna stay in line to meet Risette. Once she reaches the front I'll come back over while she says hello.

Ren: Got it. See you then. <3

Sumire: I seriously need to find a way to get back at you for things like that…

Ren smiled as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"Hello, are you with those two girls over there?" A voice Ren didn't recognize came from behind.

He turned around to see a man who looked only a little older than him. He had silver hair that was swept to the side, and was wearing a black suit and tie.

"Oh! Yes. Is there any issue?" Ren asked.

"No! Not at all. It's just… I could help but notice your conversation with the brown haired one earlier at the table. She was a little loud and kinda looked like she was drunk off the atmosphere…"

The man chuckled a little, while Ren sighed as the man kept going.

"It's just that it reminded me of something that happened in my high school days. The same thing happened to a friend of mine. Little did I know it, she'd end up becoming my wife." He said with a small smile.

He then looked back over at Ren with a sort of awkward look on his face. "Sorry! I didn't mean to get into any private details. I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name is Yu Narukami."

'Narukami… I swear I've heard that name before…' He pondered before realizing he should probably introduce himself as well.

"R-right! My name is Ren Amamiya." He said.

"Senpai? Who're you talking to?" Sumire asked as she approached him from the side and took his hand.

"Oh, this is Narukami-san." Ren said as he gestured to the man standing before them.

"'Narukami… you mean like, Rise Narukami!?" She asked in surprise.

Yu nodded with a smile. "Yep, that's my wife up there." He gestured to Rise who was still talking to the person before Kasumi in line.

'That's where I've heard it!' Ren thought as it all clicked together in his head.

"Well, we only got married earlier this year, but it's certainly been one of the most important parts of our lives." Yu said. "Oh right!" He pulled out a small slip of paper. He handed it face down to Ren. "Here's my number. Please call if you ever find yourself in any danger."

'Huh? What does he mean, danger?' Ren thought as Narukami began to walk past Ren.

As he did, he whispered something to Ren.

"You must find yourself in some trouble, I mean, you have a Persona."

Yu walked off and left the area of the Manor where the party was taking place.

'What? How does he know we have Personas?' Ren thought as he seemed frozen solid with fear.

"Senpai!? Are you okay?" She wrapped her arm around his.

"Y-yeah. It's just…" He lifted up the card Yu handed him and flipped it over.

_ Shadow Operatives _

_ Agent: Yu Narukami _

_ Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX _

_ For use  _ _ only _ _ when facing a Shadow or Persona related crisis. _

__________________________________

Yu Narukami certainly led an interesting life.

Around 5 to 6 years ago, he was shipped out to the small town of Inaba due to his parent's work. He lived with his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, and cousin, Nanako Dojima, for around a year. During his time in the town, he and some other students discovered another world inside the TV's located in the town. After finding out that they could be related to a string of murders taking place within the town, the group decided to investigate the other world, to try and discover the culprit. They awakened to their Persona's and used them to fight against the shadows that plagued the other side. Yu Narukami, along with the help of his friends, Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa (now known as Rise Narukami), Teddie, and Naoto Shirogane, solved the case. They uncovered the killer and turned him into the police.

A few months after Yu's departure from Inaba, he returned for Golden Week. However, another incident involving the TV world appeared. This is when he first came in contact with the Shadow Operatives, and their leader, Mitsuru Kirijo. After dealing with the events in Inaba that week, he returned home and finished High School, while still coming by to visit his friends every now and again. (One event that stuck in his mind was when they had to fight shadows with… dancing?) 

In his college years, he began to learn how to become a detective. He was inspired by his Uncle in Inaba, and it didn't hurt that his close friend, Naoto Shirogane, was planning on opening her own agency. Soon after they both had graduated, they opened their own detective agency, known as Teddie Investigations. (Named after a friend of theirs who never stopped begging that it be named after him). However, the two quickly realized that operating their own start up business in a small town with pretty low crime rates was  _ very _ expensive. Not only that, but Yu had to make money to help pay for his upcoming wedding with his fiance, Rise Kujikawa. They decided to call up Mitsuru Kirijo to see if there was a way she could help them out. She offered a large sum of money, and in return, the two would have to operate as members of the Shadow Operatives for two years. They both agreed and managed to help save the business with the money they made. Now all they have to do is complete their last year of service…

__________________________________

"How did it go, Yu-senpai?" Naoto asked as he met back up with her in another room.

"I'm not sure… I still don't know why he has a persona, or what he's doing with it. But I get this strange feeling that I can trust him…" Yu answered. "And would you stop calling me Senpai? It's been years since we've been in High School together."

"S-sorry. Force of habit. Well, you did give him the card, correct?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess we'll wait and see if he does anything with it."

__________________________________

'Finally…' Kasumi thought as she approached the table where Rise was sitting. 'Those people before me were dragging it out forever…'

"Hello! I love your outfit! So what's your name?" Rise asked as Kasumi approached.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa…" She answered.

"Hey… aren't you that famous gymnast? I've seen a couple of your performances, you're amazing!" Rise cheered.

Kasumi could help but feel a little better after receiving praise from her idol.

"Thank you, Risette." She said.

"You can just call me Rise!" She said with a wink.

"R-right, Rise…?" Kasumi tried to say as Rise nodded in approval.

Rise was signing the posters that they were giving out tonight. She began to write a message to Kasumi on it, when an idea appeared in Kasumi's mind.

"Um, Rise-san. Could I ask you for some advice…?" She mumbled.

"Sure go ahead!" She answered cheerfully.

"There's something that you want, desperately. But… someone else has it. What can you do?" Kasumi asked.

Rise thought for a minute.

"Well, I remember when I first met my husband, I liked him from the start. I kept hitting on him in some subtle, and some not-subtle ways… But he never really took them. I also remember getting jealous after meeting one of his friends for the first time. She wore pretty strange clothes, and had short black hair, and she was pretty to boot. They seemed so close, I was jealous of what I saw between them, and I wanted it for myself. But I just kept fighting for it. And eventually, I managed to win him over! So what I would do is just keep fighting for what you want! Even if all hope seems lost, don't give up!" Rise cheered.

Kasumi could feel herself tearing up.

"You're right Rise-san! I won't stop fighting to get what I want!" She yelled.

"That's the spirit!" Rise shouted. "Oh, and here's your poster."

"Thank you Rise-san. I hope to meet you again one day." She gave her a smile as she walked off the stage.

Ren and Sumire approached her.

"Are you feeling better now, Kasumi?" Ren asked.

"Yep! Let's get going! I wanna get a good night's sleep before we head home tomorrow." She yelled as the trio left the building. Ren called a cab and they traveled back to the hotel for one last night.

**August 20th, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Oh? You're back kid?" Sojiro said as Ren entered the building. It was about closing time, so there weren't any customers around.

"Yeah… I'm just glad that the ride home didn't take an extra day like the way there." Ren sighed as he began to walk across the room to make his way upstairs.

"Hey! About what happened on the TV…" Sojiro began.

"Huh? What do you mean happened on the TV?" Ren asked. He got a little scared as he knew that the Phantom Thieves had been appearing on the news more as of late.

"Oh you know what I mean! Yoshizawa-san's daughter!" He sighed.

"W-what about her?" Ren asked. 'What did he mean what happened on TV with Sumire? Or was he referring to Kasumi?'

"I mean how she confessed her love for you on national television! I've seen a lot in my time but, _hoo boy_. I've never seen anything like that." Sojiro said with a small grin on his face.

"N-n-n-national television…?" Ren asked. He went pale white.

"Of course! It was a big deal! Even your friends were over here to watch it. They all freaked out when she said it." Sojiro smirked.

"I-I've gotta go for a second…" He said as he dashed upstairs.

"Hey Ren-" Morgana was cut off.

"Not now Mona!" He said as he pulled out his phone and dialed up Sumire.

"Senpai? We just got home… couldn't wait to hear from me?" She giggled.

"Yes, but that's besides the point." Ren said as he spoke extremely fast.

Sumire got flustered again by Ren's response. She tried to get flirty, only for it to be turned around back on her.

"Sumire… did you know that they were showing that competition on TV?" He asked.

"They were? Wait a second… D-d-did they get the part where I-"

"Mm-hm." Ren confirmed.

Sumire's face appeared more red than any natural substance on earth has appeared before.

"S-s-senpai. I think I need to go now…" She squeaked.

"U-uh okay. Love you." He said.

"Iloveyoutoolaterbyesenpai!" She said before hanging up.

She dashed over to her sister's room and entered through the door.

"What's up?" Kasumi asked.

"D-did you know that the competition was televised?" Sumire asked.

The blank expression on Kasumi's face was replaced by an extremely long and smug grin.

"What? You didn't know that before you-" 

Sumire screamed as she ran back to her room. 

'EVERYONE SAW. THEY ALL SAW ME CONFESS TO SENPAI. WHAT ARE WE GONNA TELL THE OTHERS? WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL? THE SHUJIN RUMOR MILL IS GONNA RUN WILD! SENPAI IS GONNA TEASE ME TO DEATH OH MY GOD!'

She continued having thoughts like this before passing out.

**August 21st, 20XX - Sakura Household**

The mission was a success. Futaba recovered from her long nap just before Medjed's "Cleanse" was going to take place. She hacked into their site and took it down, signaling a victory for the Phantom Thieves. Not long after, she fell back asleep.

"Come on, let's invite the others and have a little celebration back at Leblanc." Morgana suggested.

Ren nodded as he let everyone know to come over.

**August 21st, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Woo hoo! We did it! Now we can relax for the rest of the Summer!" Ryuji shouted.

"Pipe down!" Ann scolded him.

"We're lucky that boss isn't here…" Yusuke mumbled.

"Yes. And are you so sure about relaxing? Have you already completed your summer homework?" Makoto asked him.

"Man… you don't gotta remind me." Ryuji mumbled.

Ren laughed a little. "It's alright Ryuji, we'll help you out with it."

"Thanks man." Ryuji gave a small smile of relief. "Though, I dunno how I feel about being tutored by someone a grade below me…" he looked over at Sumire. 

Sumire however, wasn't paying attention to Ryuji's comment. She continued to have her head down as it glowed red.

Ren nudged her hand with his, before grabbing it below the table. She smiled a little, but still couldn't get over what she learned last night.

"Isn't there something  _ else _ we should talk about with Sumire?" Ann said.

"Oh, of course! About how she confessed her unyielding love to Ren on live television." Yusuke blurted out.

"Yusuke!" The other three yelled.

"We were  _ going _ to congratulate her on her win…" Makoto sighed.

"Oh well…" Ann mumbled. "I guess the conversation was going to get here anyways. Let's just get the elephant out of the room."

"So," Ryuji began. "You guys dating or nah?" 

Ren looked over at her to see if she was alright with revealing it.

Sumire then raised their hands, which were being held underneath the table.

"Aww!" Ann smiled and clapped their hands.

"Congratulations, you two." Makoto said.

"Would you two object to being used as a model for my next piece? I believe something showing the love of two youths could be a topic I am willing to tackle..." Yusuke asked.

"I think we'll get back to you on that…" Ren answered.

"Hey didn't you guys get to see Risette too?" Ann asked.

"Yes! Although, Kasumi was the only one who actually met her." Sumire explained.

"You mean she got to meet THE Risette!? Oh man… I'm so jealous…" Ryuji whined.

"I didn't take you for an idol fanboy Ryuji?" Ren chuckled.

"S-shut up!" He barked back with an embarrassed face.

The group laughed at Ryuji's reveal as the group spent the rest of the night celebrating. After everyone left for the night, Ren walked back upstairs. He pulled out the card that Yu gave him and slid it into his wallet.

"In case we're ever in trouble…" He mumbled.

"What's up?" Morgana asked.

"It's nothing. 'Night Mona." He said.

He then turned off the lights and tried to fall asleep, still unable to get Narukami's final words to him out of his mind. He knows about shadows, and Persona's. But he isn't trying to hide it, like he believed Akechi was. There was something strange about Narukami, he was mysterious, but deep down, Ren had this feeling that he could trust him.

**_The World Confidant - Rank 1_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right! Persona 4 time baybeee! In actuality, it'll be a while before we hear from them again. But the setup is important!


	19. A Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes to the beach.

**August 29th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

"Okay! I'm going with Ren and some friends to the beach now! Bye Mom! Bye Dad! Bye Kasumi!" Sumire yelled as she left the house.

'Now's my chance…' Kasumi thought.

Sumire let her and their parents know that she was going to the beach that day ahead of time. Kasumi, rather strategically, decided that she would follow along to see what she can learn. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was up with Ren and Sumire's friends. Not only that, but she wanted to see if there was a way she could get Ren by himself and- She interrupted her own train of thought.

'No no no! I would never try and force him to cheat! Especially on Sumire! But… maybe I could show him there's another option on the table and he might change his mind...'

She slapped herself on the cheeks twice as they lit pink.

She walked downstairs, trying to avoid her parents seeing her leave. Unfortunately, she was caught by her mother.

"Kasumi? Where are you going?" Ichika asked.

"O-oh… just out with some friends from school, nothing special…" She mumbled and tried to brush by her mother's question.

"Mhmm… well stay safe sweetie." Ichika said as she turned back her attention to the paper she was reading.

Kasumi sighed with relief as she left the house and made her way to the beach.

**August 29th, 20XX - Beach**

Kasumi entered the beach and almost immediately caught wind of Ren and his group. Makoto and Ann had just walked out of the changing room and Ann seemed to tease Ryuji with her swimsuit. Soon, Sumire came out wearing a pink swimsuit with frills. Ren got a small nosebleed and turned red as soon as he saw her as she embarrassingly grabbed his hand.

Soon, Futaba exited the room with what seemed to be bandages covering her face. Makoto sighed as she removed them to reveal the orange-haired girl with large glasses. The group then left the area as Kasumi followed from a sizable distance.

Eventually, the group managed to find a large open area without anyone around. Ryuji cheered as he, Yusuke, and Ren set up the umbrellas and chairs. The group hung out for a little bit, before huddling together to have a discussion.

Kasumi tried to listen in as much as she could, as she hid behind a large rock to the left of the area.

"So, Futaba-chan. What are you planning to do now that you have your powers?" Makoto asked.

'Powers?' Kasumi pondered. 'Maybe they're just playing a game or something..?'

"I… I wanna join you guys. With my power, I can guide you all, and if we find out the truth behind the mental shutdowns, I could bring justice to my mom." She answered Makoto's question.

'Mental shutdowns..!? Okay, they definitely aren't playing a game… But what do they have to do with the mental shutdowns?' Kasumi thought as she continued to listen in.

"Well if you do… you're gonna need a codename!" Ann cheered.

"Codename? What's that?" Futaba asked.

'Yeah!' Kasumi thought.

"It's what we go by in the Metaverse. It helps conceal our identities in case yelling our actual names has any effect on the palace ruler's cognition." Ren explained.

'Metaverse? Palace? Concealing identities? What are they talking about?' She began to get worried as they continued.

"Yes. Ren is Joker, Sumire is Violet, Morgana is Mona, Ryuji is Skull, Ann is Panther, Makoto is Queen, and I am Fox." Yusuke explained.

'Joker? And Violet?' Kasumi was fixated on Ren and her sister's "codenames".

"Well what do you all think?" Futaba asked.

"Goggles head." Ren jokingly suggested.

"Senpai! Don't be mean!" Sumire pouted as she tugged on his arm.

"What about "Pharaoh?" Ryuji suggested.

"I'll curse you." Futaba said as she shot it down. "Hmm… Oracle. With my vision, I'll guide you all to victory." She stated.

"It's decided then! Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Oracle!" Ryuji blurted out.

"Shut up Ryuji!" Ann scolded. "This is a public place you know!?"

"Right. Sorry…" He sighed.

'P-phantom Thieves..?' Kasumi thought. Finally, it all clicked together. Why Sumire suddenly began to hang out with Ren more after what happened with Kamoshida at Shujin, why she suddenly became friends with people who never even attended her school, and… why Kasumi was never invited to come along…

She finally pieced it all together.

'Ren and Sumire are members of the Phantom Thieves.' She thought as fear crossed her mind. 'What are they getting themselves into? They've dealt with awful criminals… Hell! One of them was a mafia boss! There's no way I can just leave this be! But… how do I confront them about it?' She thought.

"Well come on girls! We've got a ride to catch!" Ann shouted.

"Huh?" Ryuji sounded.

"Ann got us four tickets for a boat ride. Watch our things while we're gone okay?" Makoto told them.

"Wha- Hell no!" Ryuji tried to argue, but the girls were already on their way. He turned back to face Ren and Yusuke. "Man forget this! We're a trio of good lookin' dudes at the beach. Come on! Let's go try and hit on some ladies."

"Hey! What about me!?" Morgana barked.

"You could be human… but right now, you're just a kitty." Ryuji scoffed.

"That's it! I bet even as a cat I can get more women to talk to me than you! Dumb ape!" Morgana shouted back.

"Oh that's it! You're on! Are you two coming with?" Ryuji asked.

"I would rather not…" Yusuke answered. "I will instead be looking at the sealife for some inspiration for my next art piece."

"Fine. What about you Ren?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm a little occupied in the ladies department Ryuji. So I think I'll pass." Ren answered.

"Oh yeah that's right… Well, come on cat! Time for you to lose big time!" Ryuji shouted as they ran off to the crowds on the other side.

"I believe I will be going as well. I've heard of some different sea creatures around here that I wish to get a closer look at." Yusuke told Ren.

"Good luck with that Yusuke…" Ren sighed as the blue haired boy left.

'Ren's all alone… now's my chance!' Kasumi thought.

She began to walk slowly behind Ren.

"Hellllllllooooooo… Ren!" She shouted his name.

"Kasumi? What're you doing here?" Ren asked, completely unfazed by her attempt to startle him.

"O-oh I was just here with some friends from gymnastics and I happened to see you here!" She lied to cover herself.

"Uh-huh…" Ren answered.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out for a little?" Kasumi asked.

Ren looked around at the group's things, or lack thereof, before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't see why not?" He answered.

"Great! Well let's get going!" Kasumi said as she took charge.

The pair walked down towards some of the nearby stores before Ren noticed something odd.

"Hey Kasumi… you said you were here at the beach with some friends right?" He asked.

"Mm-hm!" She nodded quickly, to try and back up her lie.

"Then… how come you're in your regular clothes?" Ren asked.

'Crap! I didn't even think about that! What to say… what to say… Aha! Time to try this out…' She thought.

"What? Did you wanna see me in a swimsuit?" She asked in a flirty tone.

"Urk!" He made a small noise. "Well… not particularly…" he tried to play it off.

Kasumi felt a large frown grow on her face. 'I get it, but you didn't have to be that mean…' She thought. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"How about this then? Come help me find a swimsuit!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the shop.

'Oh man…' Ren thought.

As they entered, Kasumi grabbed a couple that she thought looked good and went into the dressing room to change. The first she put on was a dark blue one piece. She left the room to find Ren.

"So… how does it look?" She asked.

"Oh… good I guess." He answered.

'Seriously? That's it?' She thought.

"Alright well, I'm gonna go try on the next one." She re-entered the changing room.

Time and time again she entered and exited, only to be met with the same general comments as before. Eventually, she got down to the last one. It was a yellow two-piece that was covered with frills.

"How's this Ren?" She asked.

She noticed his gaze was different from before.

"W-what's wrong? You don't like it?" She asked.

"No it's not that. It's just… it reminded me of what Sumire's wearing." He answered.

'Sumire huh…' She pouted in her mind.

"I think I'm gonna go with this one. Let's go check out." Kasumi said.

Ren nodded as the two met with the cashier, Ren offered to pay but Kasumi shot him down. The pair began to walk back as they realized that almost two hours had passed since they left.

'I really wanna ask him about the Phantom Thieves… I need to know about what's going on…' She sighed.

"Hey Ren?" She began.

"What is it?" He responded.

"I forget… what's your opinion on the Phantom Thieves." Kasumi sighed. 'Nice one… you know that's not what you wanted to ask…' She thought.

"Well, I think that they're sorta like a beacon." He said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, they inspire people, they show them that it's possible to solve your problems, that you shouldn't run away and accept the injustices of the world."

'As to be expected by a member…' She thought.

"And do you remember what my opinion was?" She asked.

"Yeah I do… I always thought it was a little odd how popular that take is. Especially online." He said.

Kasumi began. "Maybe so, but I just… hate the fact that there are people in this world that inflict such pain upon others. I just... can't see a reason they should still get to live in a world with the people they hurt."

"Maybe they don't…" Ren answered. "But who are we to decide that?"

"Who knows… but all I know, is that if I had the power to stop them, permanently, I would. Kamoshida… The mental shutdown culprit Akechi-san mentioned… I don't think I could forgive any of them." Kasumi said.

Ren was startled, but understood Kasumi's quiet resolve. "Well let's head on back. I'm sure Sumire would be happy to see you here."

Kasumi nodded as Ren noticed a ring coming from his pocket.

"Oh! Speak of the devil." He said as he put it up to his ear.

"Sorry I left our stuff. Nothing happened to it right? Good. I'll see you in a minute, I also have a little surprise for you." We winked in Kasumi's direction. "Alright, love you too. Bye."

His last couple words made a little bit of the pain in her stomach return.

"Well, let's go." She said as the pair returned to Ren's group spot.

_**Char** ~~ **ity**~~ ~~Con~~ **fida** ~~nt~~_ ** _-_** ~~ _Ra_~~ ** _nk_** _7_

"Wha-?" Ren suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Are you okay?" Kasumi asked.

"Y-yeah it was nothing." Ren felt that something was off.

_____________________________________

Ren arrived as Kasumi hid back behind her rock. Ren suggested that she hide for a second so they could surprise her sister. Ren turned Sumire away from Kasumi's direction as he signalled for her to come in.

"Heyyyyyyyy SUMIRE!" Kasumi yelled as she grabbed her shoulders from behind.

"K-Kasumi!?" She was shocked. "What're you doing here?" Sumire asked.

"What? I can't drop by to see how my little sister is doing?" Kasumi asked in a teasing tone.

"You're only older by a couple minutes…" Sumire mumbled.

"Still counts! So what have you done today?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh! Well, I went on a boat ride with Ann-senpai, Makoto-senpai, and Futaba-senpai-"

"Don't call me Senpai! We're the same age!" Futaba yelled as she was still trying to fight with Yusuke for the lobsters he had found.

"A-and Futaba for a little while. But I think I was about to go on a walk on the shore with Ren-senpai." Sumire finished.

"You still call him senpai? Even though you're dating now?" Kasumi asked.

"W-well I've just always called him that so…"

"It's alright Sumire. You can call me anything you're comfortable with." He assured her with a smile.

"Thank you, senpai." She said with a warm smile on her face.

Kasumi sighed. "Well I think I'm gonna get going. It was nice seeing you all!"

"Bye Kasumi!" The group shouted as the girl walked away.

Suddenly, the sharp pain in Ren's head returned.

Sumire noticed he was in pain. "Senpai? Are you okay?" She pressed her hand against his forehead.

"Y-yeah, I've just got these weird headaches recently." He sighed before grasping the hand on his forehead and giving it a little kiss.

"Senpai…" Sumire went red before giving him a hug.

"Just be sure to tell me whatever's on your mind. We're in this together now." She told him.

"Of course. I love you Sumire." He said.

"I love you too, Senpai."

The group had an enjoyable rest of their evening on their little trip. The end of summer was approaching, and with it, the return of school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Running out of ideas for notes...


	20. A Festival Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and the group have an enjoyable time at the school festival. He also sets some time aside for Sumire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Crap! I just wanna start by saying thank you for reaching 10,000 hits on this work. I can say that I definitely didn't expect anything like this when I began. This is actually my first time writing a fic and I was blown away by the support I've received. So once again, a very special thank you to everyone who's read my story!
> 
> On the chapter itself, I felt it was time to have some fluff for a little, as I feel like things have been sorta crazy for a while. I hope you all enjoy it.

**???**

"...hm?" Ren sounded as he woke up to a creepily familiar sight. Looking down and noticing his clothes, he saw that he had returned to the Velvet Room. 

"Welcome back…" Igor announced. "I assume you have noticed that something has happened to one of your bonds…"

Ren's head felt a shock as his memories of Kasumi resurfaced.

"...What's happened to her!?" Ren asked as he got up and violently grabbed the bars in front of him.

"Watch your mouth inmate!" Caroline barked as she shocked the bars, forcing Ren to step back.

"It seems that your Charity is…  _ unsatisfied _ , with your bond with them. It has caused a stagnation in your growth with them." Igor explained.

"Well what do I do to fix it!?" Ren asked. He was getting desperate. He was beginning to feel excruciating pain everytime Kasumi was brought up. Be it Sumire, or anyone else mentioning her, he felt a shock in his mind. Not only that, but he found himself unable to summon any Persona of the Charity arcana.

"I'm afraid I cannot give you all the answers, trickster. I can tell you this however…" Igor paused for a moment. "Not every bond is the same. Some will grow or rather,  _ evolve _ , with time."

'Evolve…? What does he mean?' Ren thought.

"You will see in time." Igor answered.

'Right! I forget he can tell what I'm thinking…'

The alarm began to sound.

"Our time is up tonight. Return to your rest for now." Igor told him.

Ren nodded as he fell back asleep and returned to reality.

**October 22nd, 20XX - Shujin Student Council Room**

"Senpai…" Ren heard to his right. "Come on… this is embarrassing…"

Ren's eyes opened to see that he was sitting on a chair in the student council room. His head leaning on Sumire's shoulder as the group was sitting around the table.

"...Huh? Oh, sorry guys." Ren yawned as he woke up. He looked over to see Sumire was bright red as the rest of the group watched as he awoke.

"Gotcha." He said as he pecked Sumire on the cheek, causing her to hide her face.

"You oughtn't tease her so much Ren-kun." Haru said with a small giggle.

"Sorry. Can't help it I guess." He smirked in Sumire's direction as she grabbed him and hid her face in his chest.

Haru had just joined the team last month. The school had a trip to Hawaii. Where Ren got to spend a wonderful evening with Sumire after her practice. She had told him that they were there for a training camp, however, Kasumi never came and said hi. Ren was worried that she might be avoiding him for some reason. After they had returned, they found their next target, thanks to the Phan-site poll. Kunikazu Okumura had been treating his employees like robots that do his bidding. Not only that, but he seemed to be connected to the mental shutdowns. Before they began their investigation into the palace, Morgana had gotten into a fight with Ryuji. After he ran away, he found Haru and took her into the palace. She only had a partial awakening before meeting with the rest of the thieves in the palace. After some arguments, and some apologies, Morgana returned to the team, and Haru joined as well, after her full awakening. 

After stealing his treasure is where the problems began. During his confession on live television, he suffered a mental shutdown and died. The team panicked for a bit, wondering if they truly were the ones who killed him. However, do to a little thought, and Futaba finding some digital footprints on the Phan-site, they discovered they had been set up. It didn't stop the police from going on high alert though, as they began to show up to Shujin to question the students. It seemed that they managed to get out of them without causing suspicion however. The group's next plan was to find a way to clear their names. In order to get together without drawing suspicion, Makoto put everyone at Shujin on the school festival committee.

"Damn it dude…" Ryuji pouted. "All of these are for Akechi." He paused. "Hey Sumire, Kasumi knows Risette right? Could she get her to come to our school?"

The mention of Kasumi made Ren's mind ache.

'Senpai…' Sumire thought as she grabbed his arm and began to pet his head in an attempt to comfort him. He still hadn't told her anything outside of him just, "getting headaches" recently.

"I-I don't think that would work… Besides, the other students would know if we didn't try to get the actual winner." She answered his question.

"It would be troubling if he came to school… considering his stance on us." Haru admitted.

"Wait a sec…" Ren began. "Maybe we could use him to our advantage?"

"What do you mean, Senpai?" Sumire asked.

"He has connections to the police right? We might be able to get information out of him that could help us shut down the investigation." He explained.

"I dunno…" Ann mumbled.

"I'm worried too but… I can't think of any other alternative." Makoto sighed.

"Well let's try and contact him then…" Ryuji sighed. "Anybody have his number?"

Ren was about to speak up before Makoto interrupted.

"I do. I'll contact him and tell him our proposal to speak during the festival." She announced.

The group ended their meeting there as it was getting somewhat late.

As they began to leave, Sumire grabbed Ren's sleeve.

"Senpai… could we go talk somewhere?" She asked.

"Of course, anything you want." He smiled, causing some of her worries to disappear. Soon after however, she felt a loud grumble in her stomach.

"You wanna go to the diner?" Ren proposed.

Sumire nodded as the pair left to go eat.

**October 22nd, 20XX - Shibuya Diner**

"So what did you wanna talk about, Sumi?" He asked.

She went red at his nickname.

"S-Sumi?" She asked.

"It's cute isn't it? Like someone I know…" he smirked as he grabbed her hand that was laid out on the table.

"Thank you…" she smiled. "What I wanted to talk about… is your headaches. They've been getting more frequent recently and I just wanna make sure you're okay. Have you really told me the truth about everything?" She asked. She stared at him with her ruby eyes matching his. She was obviously extremely worried about him.

'Damn… I can't lie to a face like that…' He thought before signing.

"The truth is… I'm worried about Kasumi. I just have this feeling that something is wrong with her at the moment. Have you noticed anything?" He asked.

"Now that you mention it… she had been sort of…  _ distant _ lately. She hasn't spoken much to me, and sometimes I get the feeling that she's staring daggers at me…" Sumire explained. "I have one idea of what it could be about…" Her mind raced back to her conversation with Kasumi in their room at the inn they stopped at during the beginning of their trip in the summer.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"N-nothing…" Sumire sighed.

After that, the waiter brought their food over. After eating and chatting for a while, the couple decided to go to the station.

"H-hey, after we're done hanging out with the group and stuff on the first day of the festival. Would you maybe want to walk around together? J-just the two of us?" Sumire asked.

Ren smiled. "Nothing would make me happier."

"Great! I've gotta get home now. Love you, senpai!" She said before entering the train.

"Love you too, Sumire." He said as he waved her off.

**October 25th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

"This school is quite nice. It must be enjoyable that you all attend here together." Yusuke said as they entered the building

"I'd seen pictures of this place online, but this place is way scarier in person!" Futaba chimed in as she hid behind Makoto, who was the closest one at the time.

Haru giggled. "It's alright Futaba-chan. We're all here for you if you need help."

"Oh no, today's about you Haru." Ren interjected. "You wanted us all to come together, so let's go wherever you want."

"Thank you, Ren-kun. How about we go get some food then?" Haru asked the group.

"Sounds good to me! I've got a great place in mind." Ann said as she led the group to… her and Ren's classroom.

"Seriously? This is just your room!" Ryuji barked.

Makoto and Futaba both sighed at the obvious ploy that Ann had tried to pull on them.

"Senpai… were you in on this too?" Sumire pouted.

Ren wrapped his arms around her shoulder as he tried to explain. "Definitely not. Honestly, I didn't pay attention when our class was deciding what it would be. I don't even know what it is." 

Sumire leaded in and rested her head on Ren's shoulder. "Well… maybe if it's good I'll forgive you."

"But I just- nevermind…" Ren sighed.

Haru placed the group's order as they continued to sit and chat.

…

  
  


…

  
  


…

  
  


"Well where the hell is it!?" Ryuji barked.

"I'm getting hungry… Senpai I need food." Sumire pouted.

"I-I'm sure there's a good reason it's taken this long…" He looked over to Ann as she tried to signal to him.

_ 'I have no idea.' _ she tried to get across through gestures.

Ren sighed as the group continued to wait.

After a few minutes, the waitress returned with their takoyaki.

"Hm? What's that?" Sumire asked as she pointed at one of the takoyaki. It seemed, reddish? It was a completely different color than the rest.

"Ooh! A special one!" Haru cheered.

"So… who's gonna eat it?" Makoto asked.

"Me!" Sumire, Haru, and Ren all raised their hands at the same time.

"So either Sumire or Haru gets it…" Ann said.

"Hey! What about me!?" Ren asked in a pouty voice.

Sumire decided she was going to try and act a  _ little _ more flirty with Ren. "Because I'm the girlfriend so I get priority!" She pecked Ren on the cheek.

'Damn, she's right…' he thought as his cheeks grew a little pink.

Suddenly, another voice rang from down the hall.

"Oh look. Everyone's here." They said.

"Akechi-san?" Makoto asked. "You aren't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

'Everyone..?' Ren pondered.

"Oh I just came to get a look around before my interview tomorrow." He said. Akechi then looked down and noticed the red takoyaki. "Don't mind if I do." He said as he picked it up and plopped it into his mouth.

Haru gasped. "The special one!"

"Just consider this my performance fee." Akechi said with a smile. However, that smile soon turned into a look of disgust. "A-anyways I need t-to get-t going now. G-goodbye."

Ryuji laughed as Akechi ran off. "Guess that guy couldn't handle the heat huh?"

Sumire leaned over to Ren again. "Senpai… I wanted the special one…" she whined.

Ren sighed. "We can get you some more takoyaki later."

"Really? Thank you!" She gave him a large hug as she buried her face into his chest.

"Awwww." Ann and Haru cooed.

"Not you too Haru…" Ren mumbled.

The group sat and chatted for a while. Ryuji and Yusuke weren't fans of the takoyaki that they claimed was microwaved. Ann tried to brush them off, but her poor acting skills revealed the truth. 

Soon, the group dispersed as only Ren and Sumire were left.

"Well, do you wanna go on our date now?" Ren asked.

Sumire gave him a smile and pulled his arm as the couple walked around plenty of different stands. Soon, they found themselves at an event being held up on the stage in the gym.

"Alright everyone! It's time for the student sharing special!" The announcer said. "Let's see who has something they want to share…" They searched around the area before pointing his finger at… Sumire?

"You there with the red hair and glasses! Come on up!" He shouted.

Sumire's face went beet red as she realized it was her they were talking too. She looked back at Ren, seemingly wanting him to do something.

"Go on up! It'll be fun!" Ren said encouragingly.

"Fine… but you owe me ten more dates for this…" she pouted.

"Deal." Ren smirked.

Sumire then walked up to the stage and lowered the mic a little so she could speak comfortably.

"So what is your name?" The announcer began.

"S-sumire Yoshizawa…" she answered meekly.

"Ah yes! One of the first year honor students!" The announcer said excitedly.

Ren heard the people behind him whispering.

_ "I wonder what they're gonna ask her…" _

_ "What if she has a boyfriend?" _

_ "I heard she confessed to someone on live TV." _

_ "I think I saw her with the delinquent. Odd couple if you ask me…" _

Ren felt a little hurt at that last comment but tried to brush it off.

"Well what do you wish to share with us?" The announcer asked.

"Um. I- uh- hmm." Sumire stuttered for a while before the announcer decided to step back in.

"Why don't I start you out… let's see. Do you think that the Phantom Thieves are really Shujin students?" He asked.

Sumire looked a little scared before making up an answer on the spot. "I-I hope not. I don't want anymore trouble here…" she mumbled into the mic.

_ "She's so nervous." _ More students began to make comments.

_ "Are you sure that's the one that confessed on TV. She has a sister right?" _

Ren's head felt a little shock as the other student mentioned Kasumi.

"Well, let's move on to another question. How about we get one from the audience this time. Raise your hand if you have a question for her."

A couple people in the crowd decided to raise their hands. Ren decided now would be a perfect opportunity to mess with her and raised his hand.

"Let's see…How about… you!" The announcer said as he pointed at Ren.

Ren smirked as Sumire quickly noticed that her boyfriend was the one that got picked.

'Oh thank goodness. He can give me an easy one…' She sighed with relief.

"Do you have anyone you love?" Ren asked straight out.

'SENPAI! IF YOU COULD HEAR THIS…' She tried to calm herself down. She wasn't as angry, but was still completely embarrassed.

"Yes…" she mumbled.

"Who is it? Are they here right now?" The announcer asked.

"Yes…" she mumbled again.

"Could you please point to have them stand up, and introduce them for us." The announcer asked.

Sumire pointed slowly at Ren, who stood up with an extremely proud look on his face.

"T-this is Ren Amamiya. M-my boyfriend." She admitted.

"Congratulations to you both! Well, let's get another guest up here. You're free to go, Yoshizawa-san." 

Sumire bolted off the stage as Ren met her off to the side. She immediately buried her face in his chest to hide her embarrassment as Ren simply gave her a hug in return.

"So. Wanna start planning out those ten dates now?" Ren asked.

"...You meanie." Sumire pouted.

"..Yeah." she followed herself up.

The two then continued to walk around the halls for a bit before it ended up getting pretty late.

"Alright Ren-senpai. I think we should head home now. I wanna be well rested before tomorrow." She sighed.

"Alright. Let me walk you to the station at least." Ren said.

Sumire smiled and took his hand.

At that moment, Ren felt something behind him. It felt like, something, or someone, was watching. He looked back, but only saw other students walking around and having fun like normal.

"Is something wrong, Ren-senpai?" Sumire asked.

"I-It's nothing. Come on. Let's get going." Ren said, leading the couple out of the school and to the station.

_____________________________________

  
  


"Tomorrow..?" Someone whispered.

_____________________________________

"I guess this is where we go our separate ways." He said.

"I'll see you tomorrow alright. I love you, Ren." She said before giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Love you too, Sumi. See you tomorrow." He hugged her back before seeing her get on the train.

Ren decided to head back to Leblanc for the night, to get mentally prepared for what was coming tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to basically skim over the entire Okumura arc. Like most people, I really wasn't a huge fan of it, and I especially didn't wanna write it out. I also moved the school festival date ahead by a day. I didn't think it really mattered, and it fit more with what I'm planning. See you next time!


	21. A Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone confronts the team during the festival. Ren has a complicated night.

**October 26th, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

Kasumi had been patrolling the halls of school just looking for something to do. She was up all night worrying about what she had heard from Ren and Sumire.

'Tomorrow..? What's about to happen?' She thought.

She walked over to the Gym, and saw that Akechi was standing up on stage, about to give his speech.

'I should find something else to do… I don't care about this. All he's gonna do is bash the Phantom Thieves again… Bash them...'

"Oh Yoshizawa-san?" Someone behind her called.

"Kawakami-sensei?" Kasumi responded as she turned around to see the slightly annoyed looking older woman.

"Sorry to bother you, but I figured that I could ask as you don't look too interested in his speech." Kawakami sighed.

"That is true… What do you need?" Kasumi asked.

"We left some of the things for the dance later in the P.E. faculty room. Do you think you could gather them and bring them here? It's just two speakers. They have wheels and handles so I think you could probably get them." Kawakami explained.

Kasumi kindly nodded. "Of course, I'll have them back soon." Kasumi said as she began to find her way over towards the room they were being stored in.

_____________________________________

During his talk on the stage, Akechi seemed to have gotten a phone call.

"Oh! Just something from work. I'm terribly sorry, but I do have to take this. I hope you all don't troll me online though!" He joked with his last statement, causing a lot of the audience to laugh.

"Damn it. I'm tired of that dumbass grin on his face!" Ryuji slammed his fist against the guard railing as he and some of the other Thieves stood up there to watch the show.

"I get it Ryuji, but calm down. We can't stand out, especially now." Ren said to him.

"I know… but it still just pisses me off." He sighed.

As Akechi walked off the stage, he took a quick pause as he stood next to Makoto. "Do you have a quiet room I could take this in, perhaps?" 

"Oh! Yes." Makoto replied. "The P.E. faculty room should be available."

"Great. Would you mind guiding me there? Oh, and one more thing…" Akechi began.

"Bring your friends along." He gestured to the group watching the event on the top.

Makoto gulped and broke into a nervous sweat. 'He knows… doesn't he?'

"U-um we're going to take a quick break. While we're gone, the school choir group will perform a few pieces. Please enjoy it." She quickly placed back the microphone and left the stage, texting the others what Akechi had told her.

"Do you think he knows?" Yusuke asked.

"It's possible…" Ren muttered.

"Senpai… are we going to be okay?" Sumire asked as she tried to look away from the group.

"I-I don't know… but we need to go. Come on guys." Ren said as he led the group over to the room.

_____________________________________

Kasumi had entered the office as she began to look for the speakers.

'Oh! Here's one.' She thought as she looked beneath a desk that was in the corner of the room. It was buried behind lots of piled up papers.

Kasumi had climbed underneath the desk to grab it when she heard the door opening on the other side of the room.

"Have you told them to come?" Akechi asked as he entered the office.

'Is that… Akechi-san? Isn't he supposed to be on stage?' Kasumi thought. 

"Yes. They'll be here soon." Makoto replied.

'That's… Niijima-senpai. I think Ren and Sumire have mentioned her before. And I think she was at the beach too...' Kasumi pondered as she remained below the desk. She'd feel embarrassed if they caught her under all the trash.

Soon, the door opened again as many footsteps began to pile in.

"Good. You're all here." Akechi said.

"What's this about, Akechi?" Ren asked.

'Ren!? Then does that mean this is about…' Kasumi covered her mouth as she continued to listen in.

Akechi dropped a group of photos on the desk in front of him.

"Those…" Yusuke began.

"How?" Futaba asked.

"Simple. I saw you all entering that other world. You all are the Phantom Thieves. There's no point in trying to deny it." Akechi proclaimed.

'I know that I already believed it… but hearing him say that feels… wrong.' Kasumi thought as the conversation continued.

"Congrats. You got us. Now what're you gonna do with that info?" Ryuji asked.

"Relax. I don't plan on turning you into the police." Akechi continued. "That is… if you accept my deal."

"Deal?" Haru asked.

"What kind of deal?" Makoto added.

"Let me first tell you that I have the power to enter that world as well. When I did, I awoke to my powers. I assume you have them as well?" 

Ren and the group all nodded as Akechi went on.

"There's someone who's heart I wish to change. Assist me and I'll destroy the evidence and we'll pretend none of this ever happened." Akechi declared.

"Whose?" Sumire asked.

"I'll tell you, only after you accept my deal. Oh, and one other thing. If you do accept… this will be the last mission of the Phantom Thieves. Although I suppose it would be the end no matter how you choose?" Akechi gave a small grin as he finished his sentence.

"Senpai… What do we do?" Sumire whispered into his ear.

"Do we really wanna take this deal?" Morgana asked.

"A talking cat!?" Akechi seemed shocked upon hearing Morgana speak. "W-well I don't expect an answer right away. Let's discuss this tomorrow. Is a meeting at Leblanc acceptable? Say… 7pm?" Akechi suggested.

The group silently nodded as Akechi turned back to gather the photos.

"Good. Also… Niijima-san. I think it would be best to end the interview here. I must be going now." Akechi grabbed his briefcase and left the room.

'He's blackmailing them… I can't believe it.' Kasumi thought as she continued to hide.

"I n-need to go. I have to tell everyone the event is over." Makoto said as she left the room.

"Mako-chan…" Haru whispered as she quickly left the room.

"Why do you think she was in such a hurry?" Ryuji asked.

"I don't know…" Yusuke answered.

"I… think we should all get going for tonight." Ann told the group.

"Yeah…" Futaba mumbled.

Sumire nodded. "I'll see you later Senpai. I need to go home and rest my head." 

The group all left the room leaving just Ren and Morgana (and also Kasumi, still hiding under the desk) still around.

"Hey. They're going!?" Morgana said to Ren.

"Hold on a second. I wanna talk to you about something." Ren said.

'Ren is… talking to his cat?' Kasumi pondered. 'T-that's actually kinda adorable…'

"...Then you remember too then?" Morgana added.

"Yeah. The conversation about pancakes." Ren said.

"Mhmm. There's no way he could've reacted like that if he hadn't heard me." Morgana said.

"We can't trust him. He's definitely up to something." Ren claimed.

"Yeah. And today he even acted like he heard me for the first time. This whole deal feels sketchy." Morgana said.

"Let's get everyone up to speed. We can also see if Futaba can do a little digging." Ren told Morgana.

"Yeah. Well, let's get going." Morgana's eyes widened for a second. "Oh! Before we go! There's a booth I saw serving fatty tuna! Could we stop and get some please before we leave? You still owe me." 

"Fine…" Ren sighed. "It's gonna be school festival tier crap though."

"I don't care!" Morgana barked. "I have a need for it."

Ren sighed as he lifted his bag with the cat still inside and went on his way. Kasumi then got up from underneath the desk.

"That's it. I need to talk to him about this. Tonight." Kasumi decided before grabbing the speakers and leaving.

_____________________________________

Ren sat by the exit to the school as Morgana was still chowing down on the tuna that Ren had bought him a couple minutes ago. He noticed as a pair of legs walked up and stopped in front of him.

"Kasumi?" He asked as he looked up.

'That's strange… no headache…" He thought.

"What are you doing, Ren?" She asked.

"Oh. I'm just sitting here with my cat. Everyone else already went home so…" He tried to explain.

"I see… well did you know they're having a little dance in the gym? If everyone else is gone, why don't we go together?" She suggested.

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do. You wanna come too, Mona?" Ren looked over at the cat.

"Busy. I might come down later." He answered with a face full of food.

"Suit yourself." Ren said as he stood up and followed Kasumi to the gym.

They were already playing music as the dance club was having a special performance.

"Come on! I don't wanna be embarrassed just standing around! Let's dance!" She grabbed Ren by the arm and pulled him over near the front.

Kasumi began to do a little dance with just her arms before getting into a full blown routine, jumping up and down and raising her hands.

"I see…" Ren said. He then began to twirl around and move his body with the music.

"Woah! Where'd you get moves like that?" Kasumi beamed as she asked Ren.

"You know, I had this weird dream recently… Actually forget it. I barely remember any of it anyways." He answered as the two continued to dance for a couple minutes.

Soon, two members of the club came down to talk to Kasumi. They asked her something, that she seemed to agree to, before turning back to face Ren.

"I'll be right back. Wait here for me. 'kay?" She said with a wink.

Ren's face went a little pink after that as Kasumi moved to the center of the room.

'This is it.' She thought.

Soon, a new song began as Kasumi started to dance around the gym. She spun, hopped and moved her arms around gracefully, yet forceful as she continued her dance.

Comments began to fly out from the bystanders watching.

" _She's amazing._ "

" _No wonder she's an honors gymnast._ "

Ren couldn't help but smile as the Shujin whispers were actually being positive for once.

'It's nice. Being able to talk with her again without the pain.' Ren thought as Kasumi continued her dance.

Soon, she began to twirl back into his direction. She spun, and spun until she was close enough to extend her arm out to just before his face. 

"Ren… I want you to hear this." Kasumi said.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I love you." 

"Wha-"

She grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. Completely shutting down his mind and froze his body. Suddenly, a voice rang out in Ren's head.

_I am thou… Thou art I._

_Thou's bond has evolved to a new form._

_The Charity Arcana has gained a new power._

_It has been reformed, resulting in the creation of the Lust Arcana._

  
  


**_Lust Arcana - Rank 8_ **

At that moment Morgana entered the gym.

"Hey what's everyone star- WOAH WOAH WOAH!" He noticed what everyone was looking at in the center of the gym.

After another moment, Kasumi released her grasp on him as she separated herself from Ren's face.

"Kasumi-"

"No." She cut him off.

"Listen to-" 

"NO!" She yelled.

"You know I ca-"

"Just stop. I won't listen. I refuse to listen." She said. "After she won the competition this summer, I made a promise to myself that I would never lose again. That includes this."

"C-can we at least go talk somewhere privately… everyone's looking at us…" Ren mumbled as he pointed towards the crowd looking in disbelief.

Kasumi nodded as the pair walked off to one of the classrooms on the second floor. It was empty and nobody was inside.

"Ren there's something else I need to tell you." She started again.

"Okay but I still want-"

"Just listen to me!" She yelled. "I know about the Phantom Thieves…"

Ren's body tensed again at what she had just revealed.

"W-what about them?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"Don't play dumb. I was there today when you were talking with Akechi-san. Another world? What are you doing? I can't have you and Sumire risking your lives like this." She said.

"Kasumi… I can assure you we're just fine. You don't need to worry about us." He told her.

"AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT!?" She yelled again.

"Kasumi please…" he tried to calm her down. Kasumi suddenly rushed in and grabbed Ren in a hug.

"Please… don't leave me again. I can't do it… I can't lose you…" She began to tear up.

"Kasumi… I promise you that this is almost over. Once it is, we can all just hang out and be friends again." He tried to assure her.

"Friends…? Is that all we can ever be?" She looked up at him.

"You know I'm dating Sumire. I… I can't do that to her." Ren shook his head.

"I'm not gonna stop." She said plainly.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"I told you before. This is one competition I refuse to lose. I don't care how long it takes, or that I might be losing right now. In the end. I'll always come out on top." She admitted.

Her last sentence shook Ren to his core. 'I don't wanna make any assumptions… but could she have a-' He shook his head. 'No. I refuse to believe it.'

"I've got to go now." Kasumi said as she let him go. "I'll talk to you soon." She then ran out of the room.

'I suddenly feel really sick…' Ren thought. 'I wonder… is he still here?' Ren pulled out his phone and opened his messages.

Ren: Hey doc. Are you still at school?

Maruki: I am indeed! What's up?

Ren: Could I talk to you in your office for a little bit?

Maruki: Of course. I'll be there in a moment.

Ren felt a little relieved that he was still available. He headed over to the nurse's office in the practice building, where he saw Maruki making some coffee in a pot.

"Ah Ren-kun. I made you some of this. Care to have some?" Maruki offered as he poured the coffee into a mug next to the machine.

"Y-yeah. Thanks doc." He answered as he took the mug from Maruki's hand and had a sip. "I guess living in that cafe really messed with my ability to have instant coffee." He giggled.

"That's fair. Having all that amazing coffee right at your disposal must be nice." Maruki laughed a little too.

The room fell silent for a moment before Maruki decided to start the conversation.

"...So what did you want to talk about?" He asked.

"Right…" Ren took a deep breath. He didn't want to explicitly tell Maruki what was happening. He needed to come up with some sort of analogy.

"Let's say that I'm committed to the basketball team. I love it and want to keep playing. But then, the captain of the soccer team comes and says "I don't care that you're playing for the basketball team! Come play with us instead!" You love soccer as well, but you've already committed yourself to basketball. What do you do?" Ren explained.

'...' Ren internally face palmed. 'Was that seriously the best I could come up with?'

Maruki closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "I see the dilemma. You've committed to one, but you feel that the other one is calling to you."

"Pretty much." Ren sighed. "I like to imagine some ideal world I wouldn't have to pick.. but… that's not the reality we live in, is it?" He tried to laugh it off.

"I suppose not." Maruki admitted. "It does sound nice though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Ren scoffed with a small grin. "Thanks doc. This helped me calm down a little."

"Wh- huh? That's it?" Maruki was shocked at how brief this "counselling" session went by.

"Yeah. I'm getting pretty tired and I need to go rest up. See you soon doc." Ren waved as he gathered his things.

"Yeah. You'll come help me again soon. Right Ren-kun?" He asked.

"Definitely. See you later." Ren left the office and headed towards the entrance of the school.

"There you are!" Morgana said.

"Sorry. I got kinda busy." Ren said as he lowered his bag for Morgana to climb into.

"Hey…" Morgana began.

"What's up?" Ren asked.

Morgana shook his head. "Nevermind. Let's go get some rest in before tomorrow."

With that, the pair left the school and went home to Leblanc. Upon arriving home, Sojiro had found Futaba's calling card.

'Great. How many people know now?' Ren thought as Sojiro continued to pelt him with questions. 

They managed to settle the matter after Futaba explained what happened in her palace. He was understanding, but concerned. He gave them a final warning to not try and start any fights they can't win, before leaving for the night.

Tomorrow was the day Akechi was going to introduce his target. What happened next? Ren would just have to wait and see…

'I know I said earlier that I was sure about it but… I have to check.' He thought. He looked over to check that the cat was asleep, and sure enough, he was out cold.

Ren pulled out his phone and opened the Metaverse Navigator.

"Kasumi Yoshizawa."

…

!

'No way…'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may already know this, but the Lust Arcana is actually what the Hunger Arcana from Persona 4 Golden is called in the Japanese version. I felt that name was more fitting, considering the subject matter. I also thought that it didn't sound as threatening as Hunger. She might be in some trouble, (especially with the ending there.) But she genuinely cares for Ren and Sumire. On the positive side, it represents power, passion, and unconditional love. But on the negative side, it represents feeling unsatisfactory, and depression.


	22. A Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren explains to Sumire what happened during the festival. Akechi lays out his plan to the team.

**October 27th, 20XX - Leblanc**

Ren: Hey Sumi. I know our meeting with Akechi isn't for a little while, but do you think you could come over a little earlier? I wanna talk.

Sumire: Of course! I'll leave right now.

Ren: Thanks. Love you.

Ren sighed as he put away his phone.

'I have to tell her. I can't leave her in the dark about this.'

"Hey Ren… I wanted to tell you this, but I couldn't find a good time." Morgana said. Ren looked over to see Morgana, averting his eyes from Ren as he spoke. "I kinda… saw what happened last night, at the dance I mean."

Ren thought in silence for a moment.

"I-I mean I heard what you told her. And that she refused to listen. But are you gonna tell Sumire about it?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah… I can't keep it secret from her." Ren sighed.

"...Good." Morgana said as he finally got up from his rest. "She's coming over yeah? Let's clean up a bit."

Ren gave a soft smile to his partner as he got dressed and ready. He cleaned up some of the junk floating around his room, and made a very late breakfast for himself. Soon after he had gone back upstairs, he heard the door chime. Footsteps had walked across the room and made their way upstairs as Ren saw who came to visit.

"Hey Sumire…" Ren said.

She came up and sat next to him on his bed.

"Is something the matter Senpai? How come you wanted to come talk like this?" She asked.

"I need to tell you something. Last night after you all left, Kasumi came and talked to me" Ren began.

"That's good. Did you get any headaches?" She asked as she ran her hand over his forehead.

"N-no. She asked me if I wanted to go to that dance club thing that they were hosting, and since everyone already left, I went with her." Ren continued.

"That sounds fun, but how come you seem so scared about it?" Sumire asked. Her voice grew lighter as she noticed Ren seemed nervous.

"Well… while we were there, she kinda… kissed me." 

Sumire was silent for a minute.

"And?" She asked. She had a blank and cold stare on her face, a far cry from her usual appearance.

"I tried to tell her no. That I didn't wanna have a relationship like that. But she kept yelling "No!" Over and over again no matter how I tried to tell her. I'm… Sorry. I betrayed your trust." Ren felt himself start to tear up. He couldn't handle what had happened and telling the person he trusted most what had happened was… heartbreaking.

Sumire continued to sit in silence. Eventually she wrapped her arms around him and began to pat his back.

"I-It's okay Senpai. It wasn't your fault. I won't lie and say I'm not a little upset about it, but it's more at her refusal to accept your answer, than what happened. You tried to do the right thing, and that's what mattered." She tried to comfort him.

Ren had his face buried in her shoulder. The tears continued to fall. "T-Then you don't want to break it off…?" He asked.

"Of course not. We promised we would always be there for each other. I love you Senpai. You tried to tell her no. And if she can't accept it, then that's her problem." Sumire said.

Ren had to process her words for a moment. 'That's right… I love Sumire, and I'm committed to her.' He felt a small smile form on his face. 'There really isn't anyone else for me other than her… I can't believe I doubted it for even a second. I might love Kasumi, the same as all my friends… But I'm _in_ love with Sumire.''

"Sumi. I promise that I'll always be there for you. I love you more than anything in the whole world." Ren laughed a little through his tears. "Although, it's strange to hear you talk about your sister in such a harsh tone."

Sumire put on a pouty face. "Yeah? Well she tried to steal my boyfriend!" Her cheeks puffed and Ren felt himself begin to calm down. "I still love her, but that's pretty messed up!"

"You're right. Thank you Sumi. I love you more than you could ever know." He gave her a peck on the cheek that caused her to grow a little red.

"Heh. You're getting better at handling those." He giggled.

"Senpai…" She whined. "You know… I'm glad that I'm the only one you show this side too. I've noticed you never try to show weakness in front of the others. I guess that's to be expected by our leader…"

"I guess that's true…" Ren mumbled. "I guess it's because you're so darn cute that I let my guard down."

She flared red again. "A-anyways is that all you wanted to talk about? I figured while we wait, we could watch some TV and…" She felt herself getting more embarrassed as she stared at the bed they were sitting on.

"Snuggle?" Ren tried to finish her sentence.

"Uh- umm- o-only if y-you're ok-kay with it. S-s-senpai…" she tried to mutter out.

Ren giggled again. "I am. But there's actually one more thing that I wanted to talk about." His face grew more serious as he pulled out his phone. He opened up the Nav and showed Sumire the search history. It was an incomplete search, only having a name-

"Kasumi!?" Sumire was shocked. "She had a hit!? Is it just a Mementos shadow, or…?" She trailed off.

Red shook his head. "It's a palace. I still don't know what the keywords are, or what it's like on the inside, but she definitely has one."

"I can't believe it…" Sumire sighed in disbelief. "I knew she had been acting strangely for a while but this…"

"I felt the same way after I found it last night." Ren nodded.

"But she's not a bad person! I mean… what she did last night was pretty bad. But not anything even remotely comparable to the other palace rulers!" Sumire exclaimed.

"I know… I think it could be something similar to Futaba's palace. But I guess we can't be certain unless we go in." Ren explained his theory.

"Well when can we go?" Sumire asked.

"I don't know… it probably can't be for a while, considering what's going on today. Besides, we need everyone's agreement that we're going to target her." Ren said.

"Wait…" Sumire began. "Do you think that the heart Akechi-san wants us to steal is…" 

"No." Ren cut her off. "That's pretty unlikely. It would have to be someone Akechi knows more closely. Besides, Kasumi doesn't have any connection to the case." Ren paused for a brief moment. "Oh… I forgot to mention one other thing." Ren said.

"What is it?" Sumire asked.

"Turns out…She was listening in to our conversation with Akechi last night. She knows we're the Phantom Thieves." Ren admitted.

"W-what!? I know she won't turn us in but… what does this mean?" Sumire seemed very worried.

"I'm not sure. Best we can do is try and play it cool. Definitely don't mention that she's a potential target. It could… complicate things." Ren said. "For now, let's just try and calm down while we wait for Akechi to tell us his plan." He turned on the TV where a new episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman was airing.

"Oh! Love this show!" Sumire exclaimed. Soon, her face turned bright red. "Does this mean you wanna…"

"Only if you want to." Ren said as he leaned back and laid against the end of the bed.

Sumire then tried to move over. Fidgeting slightly as she tried to lay down next to him. Her face exploded with red and she realized that they were laying next to each other. Ren looked down and saw her face before giggling a little. He decided to wrap his arm around her causing an "Eep!" sound to come out of her mouth.

Ren decided to try and calm her down. "Are you doing okay? We can stop if you-"

"N-no!" She interrupted. "It's fine… it's just the first time I've done something like this…"

They continued to lay in silence as the show continued on the TV. It was an awkward, but enjoyable experience for the both of them. Soon, Sumire decided to speak up.

"S-Senpai… can I make a bit of a selfish request?" She asked hesitantly.

Ren scoffed. "Of course. I kinda like it when you're selfish, you know."

His last comment caused her face to flare up again. 

"T-thank you. I wanted to ask… Do you think you could try to stay away from Kasumi for a little bit? A-at least until we do something about her palace…" He mumbled.

"I understand. If that's what you want, I'll do it. For you, Sumi." He pecked her forehead.

Her face was still red, but she couldn't contain a small giggle. "Thank you Senpai. I love you."

"I love you too." Ren said as the pair continued to watch the TV together. Hours felt like minutes as the pair continued to talk about the shows that were airing. Ren continued to tease her at every opportunity he got. Soon, it was about seven.

Sumire continued to lay upstairs while Ren went downstairs to talk to Sojiro.

"Perfect. No customers." He whispered. "Hey Sojiro!" He called out.

"Yeah?" The gruff old man answered. 

"I was wondering if we could close the store a little early. We have some… business that we're having people over for." Ren explained.

"I get it. Just be sure to lock up the place once everyone leaves." Sojiro sighed as he began to pack up his things. On his way out, he flipped the sign over to "Closed" and went home. Not long after, Futaba showed up.

"Yo!" She said as she entered. "Ren I'm hungry. Make me curry! Your's is almost as good as Sojiro's!" 

Ren smiled at her compliment? He guessed? "Sure, and ask Sumire to come down and see if she wants any." He said as he began to prepare the meal.

"Yo Sumire! Lover-boy want you to come down!" She yelled up the stairs.

'Lover-boy?' Ren thought. He could sense Sumire's blush, even from down the stairs.

She soon came down and sat on the stool at the end of the bar, just to the left of Futaba.

"You're making curry, senpai? I want some!" She cheered.

"That's good because I'm making you three helpings." He explained in a teasing voice.

"Senpai…" She whined again.

Futaba began her classic little giggle. "So, did you two enjoy your little Phoenix Ranger cuddle session?"

"F-Futaba!" Sumire grew even more red at her comment.

"I thought I told you to get your bugs outta my room!" Ren barked.

"Nonsense! Alibaba must protect her brother's chastity!" Futaba declared.

"Ch-ch-ch…" Sumire was stuck on a loop.

"Futaba!" Ren went red as well. "Look! You broke poor Sumi!" He pointed at Sumire who was still repeating the first syllable over and over. "And why are you still calling yourself "Alibaba?"

Sumire finally broke out of her loop. "THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM WITH WHAT SHE SAID!?" She yelled.

Ren and Futaba continued to laugh at her embarrassment.

"Nah it's cool." Futaba said. "I wouldn't mind having you as my "sister" ya know?" 

Sumire froze again at Futaba's comment before letting out a small. "T-thank you."

"That's enough Futaba…" Ren sighed. "I-It's too early for us to talk about it yet."

"But that means you're thinking about it!" Futaba declared.

Ren sighed as he continued to work on the curry pot. Soon after another, the rest of the team began to pour in, and after them, Akechi.

Ren stood behind the counter, while Sumire and Futaba remained in their seats from before. Ryuji, Ann, Yususke, and Makoto sat in one of the booths. While Haru sat beside Futaba on the bar. Mona was standing on the table inside the booth, while Akechi simply stood by the entrance.

Ren passed around the plates of curry to everyone, and even offered one to Akechi.

"That's quite alright. I ate not too long ago." He explained.

"Suit yourself." Ren said as he poured it back into the pot.

"Anyways. Let's get on with it." Makoto began. "Who do you want us to target?" She asked.

"I think you all might know her. The person whose heart I wish to steal is Sae Niijima." He explained.

"Wha-?" Makoto exclaimed.

"That's Mako-chan's sister isn't it?" Haru asked.

"Yeah…" Ryuji sighed.

"There's been something wrong with her as of late. I've noticed and even decided to check on the app. She does have a palace." He explained.

Everyone except Makoto and Akechi gasped.

"Makoto?" Yusuke asked.

"The truth is… I already knew she had one. I had suspected it a while ago. So I checked the Nav. I didn't go in of course, but I still knew…" Makoto explained.

"It's alright Makoto. We trust you." Ann said comfortingly.

"If we do this we can end her corruption." Akechi explained. "Not only that, but the SIU will view the investigation group into the Phantom Thieves as corrupt, if their leader were to receive a change of heart. Effectively ending the investigation and taking the targets off of all your backs."

"Sounds like a sweet deal." Ren muttered.

"Glad you see it my way." He flashed Ren a smile.

"But if we do this… then our time as the Phantom Thieves is over, yeah?" Ryuji asked.

"I would hope so. If you continue, I will have no choice but to show those photos to the SIU. You would all be swiftly arrested." Akechi answered.

The room went silent for a moment.

"Makoto." Ren began. "If you're okay with it. We can do this."

She slowly nodded. "It's alright… I've wanted to do this for a long time. It was part of the reason I joined the Phantom Thieves." She answered.

Akechi's eyes widened. "That was another thing I was curious about. I wanted to ask… what was the reason you all decided to form this group?"

'That's a strange question… but I guess it makes sense for someone who's supposed to be investigating us…' Ren thought.

"I guess I'll go first." Ryuji said. "When I finally realized I had the power to put a stop to that dirtbag Kamoshida, it felt like a rush. I wanted to put every bastard like him on earth in their places." 

"That makes sense…" Akechi commented.

"I'll go." Ann announced. "After seeing what that man did to my best friend… I never wanted anyone on earth to experience what she did, and feel how I felt, just watching it happen. That's why I joined. To prevent things like that from happening again."

"I suppose it's my turn." Yusuke said. "Madarame may have been the closest thing I had to a father in my life, but he was a fraud. He lied to me, and lied to the world. He made me realize that there's good and evil in every man. It made me want to purge that evil that plagues our society."

"Since Makoto already went. I guess it's my turn." Futaba spun around to face Akechi. "I wanna find the one behind the mental shutdowns. They're the ones who took my mom. And their goons were the ones who placed the blame on me. I want to find the truth."

"Interesting…" Akechi mumbled.

"I'm quite similar to Futaba-chan's story." Haru began. "At first, I just wanted my father to confess to what he had done. But after what happened in his palace, I want nothing more than to bring his killer to justice. He may have been a terrible man… but murder is no way to deal with his crimes!"

"And what about you, Yoshizawa-san?" Akechi looked over in Sumire's direction.

"W-well… my story really isn't as dramatic as everyone else's…" She began. "I suppose what it really is… is that I want to protect the people I love." She smiled and put her hand on top of Ren's, who was standing across from her at the counter.

"Aww…" Ann cooed.

"Lady Ann! I wanna protect you too!" Morgana shouted.

Everyone but Akechi seemed to ignore the cat.

"Oh right! Morgana was it? What about you?" Akechi asked.

"I wanna regain my true form!" He put in plainly. 

"And that is..?" 

"A human! I need to delve into Mementos to uncover my real body!" Morgana said.

"Right…" Akechi sighed. "And finally the leader, what about you, Ren?"

Ren closed his eyes and thought for another moment. "I guess it's… all of the above? I want to prevent tragedies from happening again. I want to purge the evil of this world, and I want to uncover the mental shutdown culprit. And most importantly…" he looked back at Sumire. "I want to protect the ones I love as well." 

Another aww came from both Ann and Haru.

"Well I believe that settled it. If you've decided to go along with my plan, what say we go to the palace tomorrow?" Akechi suggested.

"Sorry…" Makoto answered. "I'll be pretty busy tomorrow. Saturday will work though."

"Then is everyone okay with Saturday?" Ren asked as everyone nodded.

"Then I'll see you all then." Akechi said as he took his leave.

"Sorry guys… I need to go." Makoto said as she began to pack her things.

"One moment!" Morgana yelled, stopping her from leaving.

"There's something we need to tell you all about…" Ren said.

He explained to some of the original members again, and to the newer faces for the first time, about their first encounter with Akechi.

"So he knew Morgana could speak?" Makoto asked.

"But he seemed surprised yesterday?" Haru asked.

"Exactly. It's pretty suspicious…" Futaba mumbled.

"Futaba. Do you think you could look into him a little more?" Ren asked.

"Oh I can do better than that!" She got close to Morgana and whispered in his ear.

"Oh! Nice…" Morgana said.

"What's that?" Ryuji asked.

"Nothing. Just trust me. We'll uncover the truth. Mwehehehehehe…" Futaba began to laugh maniacally.

"R-right well… essentially… don't trust Akechi. He's up to something." Ren said.

The group all nodded and they began to leave for the night. Ren said his goodbyes and gave Sumire a little peck on the cheek as they all left. This plan had to work...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted the beginning of this chapter to help calm any fears of Ren leaving Sumi. That boy is a lot of things and one of them is fiercely loyal. And yes, Kasumi palace is happening. I have an idea for where it'll be, so please look forward to it.


	23. A Night Together and a Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumire confronts Kasumi about the school festival. Ren and Sumire discuss the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter. Mainly because I think the next one's gonna be beefy.

**October 27th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad. I'm back." Sumire announced as she entered her home. She had just returned from Leblanc where she had a discussion not only about Akechi's plan, but also about what her sister had done the other night.

"Hey sweetie!" Ichika said. "Sorry, I just cleaned up dinner. Did you eat at Ren-kun's? How is he doing anyways?"

"Y-yeah…" Her mind jumped to seeing her boyfriend cry when revealing what happened the other night. "He's fine." She took a pause before continuing. "Where's Kasumi?" Sumire asked her Mother who was currently cleaning.

"She's upstairs in her room I think. Is something the matter?" Her father answered from across the kitchen.

"I just… need to talk to her." Sumire answered.

She took off her shoes and began to walk up the steps. It felt like an eternity, each step adding more and more pressure. She had so many things she needed to tell her sister. She approached the door and knocked.

"Come in." Sumire heard from inside.

She opened the door so forcefully it almost slammed against the wall if she hadn't caught it.

"What do you need?" Kasumi asked. She was laying in her bed looking at her phone. Still dressed in her training outfit from practice this morning.

'This is it. I can't be in her shadow anymore. I can't look weak in front of her any longer!' Sumire thought to reassure herself.

"Do you have anything you want to tell me, Kasumi?" Sumire asked. She kept a cold stare at her sister.

"I can't think of anything I do. Why?" Kasumi responded, sensing her sister's growing hostility.

"Is that so?" Sumire said. "Because Ren certainly did."

Kasumi was silent for a moment. She closed her eyes to gather her thoughts before answering. She stood up and walked over to face her sister.

"What about it? Why do you care what happened between us?" Kasumi asked.

"I care because you kissed my boyfriend! How did you think that was an okay thing to do!?" Sumire began to yell.

"Shut up! You know full well that I should be the one with him! You just got sooooo tired of living in my shadow that you thought you could steal him from me as some sort of revenge!" Kasumi yelled.

Sumire began to feel the tears forming. 'N-no… I said I would be strong… that I wouldn't show weakness… I guess I really can't keep a promise like that…' 

"Aww! You're gonna cry because you know I'm right! Just like you always do Sumire. So why don't you just shut up and listen to me?" Kasumi said with a condescending voice.

Sumire wanted nothing more than to scream at her sister in return. But… she couldn't. She knew it wasn't right.

"W-what happened Kasumi..? Where did the sister I look up to go?" She asked, the tears still rolling down her face.

Kasumi quickly realized what she had done. "Sumire… I-"

Sumire shook her head and began to walk out of the room.

"And about the Phantom Thieves…" Sumire began. "I won't try and hide it from you, but you can't tell anyone."

"I know…" Kasumi mumbled.

Sumire returned to her room for the night. After shutting the door, she felt herself fall to her knees while she continued to cry. She pulled out her phone and decided to call Ren.

_ *ring*  _

_ *ring* _

_ "Hey Sumi. What's up love?" _ Ren said as he answered the phone.

"I-I just wanted to hear your voice, just for a little while…" Sumire answered.

Ren could tell that she was crying as he heard her voice.

_ "Of course. We can talk as long as you want." _ He said.

"Thank you, Senpai…"

_ "Is there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?" _ Ren asked.

Sumire thought for a moment.

"Yes, a-actually. I want to go check out Kasumi's palace. I know we can't do a full infiltration yet, but I still want to see what it's like." Sumire told him.

_ "Hmm…"  _ Ren pondered.  _ "Well, I can see if we can go after securing the route for Sae's palace. I assume you just want it to be us?" _

"Y-yes please. I don't want to get everyone else involved until after we've agreed to do it." Sumire responded to her boyfriend's question.

_ "Alright then. I'll just drop Morgana off with Futaba and say we're going on a date." _ Ren joked, causing Sumire's mood to improve, if only slightly.

"Thank you Senpai. I think I'm gonna go to sleep now. Goodnight Senpai, I love you." Sumire said.

_ "Goodnight Sumi. Love you too." _ Ren said before hanging up.

After the call ended, Sumire got back up and got changed into her pajamas. She wanted to secure Sae's route quickly, so she could finally see her sister's distortion.

_____________________________________

**November 5th, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Alright!" Ryuji shouted. "We've got our route secured! How about we send the card?"

"Hold it." Akechi interrupted him. "I've got another idea in mind."

"Another idea?" Makoto questioned. 

"Yes. Sae-san is likely aware that as the head of the investigation, she is a potential target. She probably has her guard up at the moment, so I have doubts on the card's effectiveness." Akechi explained.

"So what do you propose we do?" Haru asked.

"I think we should wait until the last day possible. Let us send the card on the 18th. That way, her guard will be down, believing she has already won." Akechi gave his idea.

"That makes sense…" Ann muttered.

"Alright. We'll go with it." Ren said.

"Does that mean we're done here?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah… let's meet back up on the 18th to send the card. Sound good?" Ren looked around at his fellow thieves to be met with nodding heads. "Alright then. Meeting adjourned!"

Everyone with the exception of Sumire left the store. Morgana had gone back upstairs as well.

"What's up Sumi? You wanna talk about the other palace?" Ren asked.

"Yeah… Do you think we could go tomorrow? We don't have school or anything…" She suggested.

"That's fine with me. But we need to find the keywords." Ren said.

"That's right! We might take a while to find them as well…" Sumire began to mumble.

Ren paused for a moment, before giving his suggestion.

"W-well you k-know… We c-could try and think of them t-tonight?" He tried to mutter out.

"Tonight? What do you mean?" Sumire asked. Her bright red orbs staring directly at Ren.

'This girl is too pure… but I can't say I don't enjoy that…' He smirked.

"I mean… Do you maybe wanna s-stay over tonight?" Ren finally asked the question.

"S-S-STAY OVER!?" Sumire blurted out.

Her face lit up as she decided to think about if for a moment. 'It's not like I don't want to…' She thought.

"I-I guess I could ask my parents… i-if it's alright?" She answered.

"O-of course. Go ahead." Ren said as he went back upstairs to leave her with some privacy.

Sumire pulled out her phone and began to call her house before getting a quick answer.

_ "Sumire?"  _ It was Shinichi on the other side.

"H-hey Dad… I had a question to ask." She began fidgeting out of nervousness.

_ "Of course. What do you need, honey?" _ He said.

"I-I was w-wondering if it would be p-possible if I s-stayed over at S-s-senpai's tonight?" She thought she was going to pass out from all the fear of asking her father that question.

_ "Stay over? I d-" _ Shinichi was cut off by a large thud followed by some whispers that she couldn't make out.

_ "Of course you can sweetie!" _ Suddenly, her mother had replaced her father's voice.

"Mom!? T-thank you…" She muttered. She felt relieved at her mother's approval.

"Just be sure to use protection okay? Bye now!" Ichika said as she hung up.

"Wait… WHAT!? MOM!" Sumire yelled before looking down and seeing that the call had already ended.

Soon, Ren came back down the stairs to check on her.

"So, what did they say?" He asked.

"My mom said yes…" She was still trying to hide her face, which was burning up after what her mother left her with.

"Sounds good. Wanna come upstairs now?" Ren asked as he extended his hand to Sumire.

She silently nodded and took it as Ren guided her back up to his room.

"Hey cat! Go stay over with Futaba tonight." Ren said as he entered.

"What!? I don't wanna do that… She's always so rough with me!" Morgana barked.

"I'll get you some faffy tuna~" Ren hummed.

"Got it. See you tomorrow." Morgana said, dashing out of the room and heading to the Sakura house.

"What speed!" Sumire commented. 

"Tell me about it…" Ren mumbled as he began to set up his room for the evening.

"Well, do you wanna try coming up with the keywords?" Ren asked.

"Yeah… we need a location, and a distortion." Sumire answered. "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that it could be related to our "rivalry" so to speak." 

"Let's start with location." Ren said as he pulled out his phone and opened the Nav.

"We've been doing our practices at Shujin for the most part lately... could that be it? Shujin Academy." Sumire tried.

_ "Conditions have not been met." _

"I guess not." Ren scratched the back of his neck. "What about where she first lost to you? Gekkoukan High wasn't it?"

_ "Conditions have not been met." _

'Our rivalry…' Sumire thought. "How about where it all began… My House."

_ "Location found. Please enter distortion." _

"That was it!" Ren cheered.

"Right! Now we just need a distortion…" Sumire thought.

"A gymnastics tournament?" Ren tried.

_ "Conditions have not been met." _

"People always called her a "princess of gymnastics" so maybe… A castle?" Sumire asked.

_ "Conditions have not been met." _

"Hmm…" Ren began to think. 'If the location was about their rivalry… then could the distortion be too?'

"Hey Sumi. Didn't you mention one time that you and her made some grand promise together?" Ren asked.

"That's right. We promised we'd both compete at the world stage." Sumire had a realization. "World stage…" She mumbled. "The Olympics!"

_ "Conditions met. Beginning Navigation." _

Ren and Sumire began to feel the world start to shift around them. They were still inside Ren's room, meaning that the cognition was still gathered around Sumire's house, rather than the whole city, like Futaba's palace.

"Well now that we have it in our history, we should probably get back and actually go check it out tomorrow." Ren suggested.

"You're right Senpai. Thank you for helping me with this." Sumire said.

Ren leaned over and pecked her forehead. "Of course. You can ask me for anything, Sumi." 

She felt her face get hotter as the world transformed back into reality.

"Well how about I go get dinner started? Curry alright with you?" Ren asked.

"With your curry it always sounds good Senpai!" Sumire cheered, causing a little pink to form on Ren's face from his girlfriend's compliment.

"Alright. I'll go ahead and get started. You can go ahead and get changed- Oh wait! This was a last minute thing… you don't have a change of clothes do you?" Ren said.

"I-I guess not… is there anything I could use?" She asked.

"I mean… you could wear some of mine?" Ren suggested.

"Uh- umm- t-thank you Senpai…" Sumire mumbled.

Ren reached into his drawer and pulled out his green sweatpants and black t-shirt and tossed them over to Sumire.

"I'll go downstairs. Feel free to come down once you've changed." Ren said.

Sumire could tell Ren was a little embarrassed, mainly because she was as well. 'Here's a chance to get back at him!' she thought.

"No peeking Sen~pai!" She winked in his direction.

…

…

...

**_Silence._ **

Sumire's face grew more and more red with each second that passed.

"You're no fun senpai…" she pouted.

Ren turned around and started laughing so hard that he struggled to breathe as he walked down the stairs.

After changing and coming down for dinner, the couple decided to head to bed for the night. Ren got out an extra set of sheets from the closet and began to set them up on the couch.

"I'll stay here tonight. You can have the bed." He explained.

Sumire shook her head.

"No? Then you want the couch?" Ren asked in confusion.

Sumire's head was pointed down and she shook it again.

"Then you want to…?" Ren began.

"Y-yeah…" She answered.

Ren put the sheets back up and walked over to the bed. He unfolded the ones on his bed and then offered an arm to Sumire, who hesitantly took it before she climbed in.

'You can do it Sumire! You've done it before… just without the sleeping part… It'll be fine!' She thought as she tried to reassure herself.

Ren walked over to turn the lights out before climbing in next to her.

Another wave of silence took over as the couple heard nothing but their own heartbeats.

"You know…" Ren began. "It's nice. Seeing you from this angle."

"I-I feel the same way." Sumire nodded slowly.

Ren wrapped his arms around her as the couple began to close their eyes and attempt to drift asleep…

*Bzz*

" _ KITTY NO DON'T REVEAL MY SECRETS- _ " Ren and Sumire jolted awake.

"F-Futaba!?" Ren exclaimed.

" _ Ren! Sumire! I just wanted to let you both know that Futaba's been listening in for the last hour! _ " Morgana's voice came from somewhere.

"WHAT THE HELL FUTABA!? I TOLD YOU TO GET YOUR BUGS OUTTA MY ROOM!" Ren roared. 

" _ Why Kitty why _ ?" Futaba pleaded.

" _ That's what you get for playing so rough with me! _ " Morgana scoffed.

"That's it!" Ren barked. He turned on the lights and opened a box at the end of his room. He took out two of the old knives that he had bought from Iwai. "Sumi! We're going bug hunting!" He tossed one onto the bed for Sumire to take.

" _ No! My babies! Please don't hurt my babies! _ " Futaba cried before Ren broke the tiny speaker that her voice was coming from.

Ren and Sumire then spent the next hour searching for, and destroying any of her equipment they could find. After (hoping) they found them all, the couple returned to bed. They weren't able to enjoy their time together for long though, as they both instantly crashed when they entered.


	24. A Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren spends some time with Sumire in the morning. They then begin to investigate Kasumi's palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is definitely longer than most of the others I wrote. This isn't a likely occurrence, but I hope you all enjoy the extra beefy chapter.

**November 6th, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Huh…?" Sumire began to stir awake. It was still early that Sunday morning and she was still adjusting her eyes to the light coming in from the window. She looked down to see Ren, still asleep. No doubt he was still tired from their hunt for Futaba's bugs that were scattered around the room. She soon laid back down and began to stare into her boyfriend's face. His mouth was still a little open. She picked up her phone that was by her side and checked the time.

'8:30 huh… I guess we should get up. But how to wake him…?' Sumire thought.

A mischievous grin appeared on her face.

'Time to get back at him for last night!'

She closed her eyes and puckered her lips as she began to approach Ren's sleeping face. But then- 

"Now that's something I wouldn't mind waking up to every day." 

"Huh!?" Sumire gasped.

Ren cut her off by stealing the kiss.

"I'm offended you thought you could take advantage of my helpless state!" Ren said sarcastically, adding a little giggle.

Sumire picked up the pillow below her and shoved it into her own face.

"Why do you always have to ruin my plans Senpai…" She whined.

"It's all part of the fun!" Ren said cheerfully. "Plus, seeing you get embarrassed is always a delight."

Sumire kept her face buried in the pillow as Ren got up.

"I'll go change downstairs in the bathroom." He began. "You can change up here, and then we'll head over to your place to start looking at the palace. I'll make some coffee to warm us up before we leave. We can pick up some breakfast on the way."

Ren saw a small nod come from behind the pillow. He let out a giggle and walked downstairs. "Think about where you wanna eat!" He shouted from down below.

Sumire got up after around five more minutes of laying on the bed, embarrassed. She looked into her bag before realizing- "Senpai!" She shouted so Ren could hear her from upstairs. "I-I don't have any clean clothes to change into…"

'Right! I forgot she didn't pack anything…' Ren thought for a moment. 'Could Futaba have some she could borrow? No… they'd probably be too small…' His thoughts were interrupted by someone entering the store.

"Sorry, we're actually closed at the-" Ren's default response was cut off by the realization of who was at the door. "Yoshizawa-san!" 

"Hello Ren-kun." Shinichi greeted back.

"What are you doing here so early?" Ren asked.

"Well, I realized that Sumire probably didn't have a change of clothes. So I brought some for her." He explained.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Ren said as he took the bag from Shinichi.

"I-Is she still asleep or…?" Shinichi began.

Ren's phone buzzed as he looked down to see a text from Sumire.

Sumire: Tell him yes! This is embarrassing…

Ren chuckled a little before turning his attention back to Shinichi.

"Yeah she's still out cold. I'll go leave these upstairs though." Ren ran up the steps and handed the bag to Sumire. She was covering her face as her cheeks were bright red. Ren laughed a little and pecked her on the forehead before returning downstairs.

"Well since you're already here, can I get you something to drink?" Ren offered.

"I guess I could go for a house blend, if you wouldn't mind?" Shinichi asked.

Ren nodded and got to work on the order. Sumire sat against the end of the stairs and was trying to listen in to their conversation out of curiosity.

"Y-you know Ren-kun, I was actually pretty nervous about letting her stay here tonight. But seeing you up and ready to work shows me that you're pretty responsible for your age." Shinichi complimented him.

"T-thank you Yoshizawa-san. I really appreciate it." Ren's cheeks went a little pink as he continued to work.

Shinichi began again. "It's wonderful knowing Sumire has someone she can really rely upon. She always seems so happy when she comes home from spending time with you." 

Ren smirked a little. "Believe me. She makes me just as happy. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"That's great to hear… especially lately…" Shinichi's voice grew to a much darker tone.

"Is something wrong, Yoshizawa-san?" Ren asked out of curiosity. He had just finished the coffee and passed it over to Shinichi.

"Well… promise me you won't tell them." Shinichi asked. Ren looked over and nodded. "I think Sumire and Kasumi haven't been getting along lately. I constantly hear yelling and screaming. It's quite different from how they were before…"

Ren gritted his teeth as he continued to listen silently to Shinichi's words.

"Would you happen to know anything Ren-kun?" He asked.

"I-I'm afraid I don't…" He lied through his teeth. He couldn't let him know anything.

"I guess that's to be expected." Shinichi sighed.

He soon finished his cup and stood back up.

"Thank you for the coffee, and for taking care of my daughter." Shinichi smiled at Ren.

"Anytime." Ren smiled in return.

With that, Shinichi took his leave. After a couple of minutes, Sumire came downstairs in her new change of clothes. She took a seat at the table and almost seemed to chug down the coffee Ren had made.

"Woah! Slow down." Ren said.

A bit of coffee was falling off of her lip. Ren reached over and wiped it off with his finger before cleaning it himself.

"Senpai…" Sumire whined again.

"Kouhai?" Ren responded.

Sumire's face went bright red again.

"Please don't make that a thing…" She mumbled.

"Oh it definitely is now." Ren giggled.

Ren finished his coffee as the two got ready to leave for the day. 

**November 6th, 20XX - Shibuya**

Upon arriving in Shibuya, Ren took her up to central street to pick out breakfast.

"So where did you wanna get food? Somewhere quick so we can get going I presume?" Ren asked.

"Well… I heard that Big Bang Burger is starting to serve breakfast now. And I'm sure Haru-senpai had some input on it. So how about there?" Sumire suggested.

"Sounds great. Let's get going." Ren took her hand and led her to the Big Bang Burger that was on Central Street.

Upon entering Ren looked over the new menu.

"I think I'm gonna go with the eggs and bacon meal. How about you Sumi?" Ren asked as he continued to look over the menu.

No response.

"Sumi?" He looked over to see her eyes completely glued to an item on the large overhead menu above the counter. Her mouth was gaping open and she had a sparkle of determination in her eyes.

Ren looked up to see it. He began to read the sign out loud. "The Breakfast Big Bang Challenge. Even bigger than the Captain Rank challenge. You know what they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

…

"Sumi, no." He pleaded.

"Sumi, yes." Is all he got in return.

Ren sighed in defeat as he placed the order.

"Ah! Taking our new challenge are we?" The cashier cheered.

"Actually no… she is." He pointed back to Sumire, who was acting as giddy as a toddler on Christmas morning.

"O-oh I see." The cashier responded 

Ren handed over the cash as he and Sumire walked over to their seats. She continued humming while Ren just sat and stared at her head that was bobbing up and down.

'At least she's happy…' Ren sighed.

After a couple minutes, the waitress brought out their food. Ren began to eat his meal as Sumire began to chow down on her breakfast burger.

"She managed to finish it in under 10 minutes!" The employee exclaimed.

"Senpai! I did it!" She cheered.

"Yes. Yes you did Sumi… Good job." Ren said. His mind was racing to try and think of any possible way she could have finished it that quickly.

"Here are your five free meal vouchers. Congratulations ma'am." Said another employee said as they handed her the paper coupons.

"Look Senpai! We get five free meals here! I wonder if I can use them on another challenge…? Oh! And you can do it with me!" She said excitedly.

"L-let's just focus on this victory for now." Ren said. Still shaken by how much his girlfriend managed to eat.

"Her appetite is gonna make me go broke…" Ren mumbled.

"Senpai?" She looked over at him.

"It's nothing." He quickly answered. "Wanna get going now?" 

"Yeah." She grabbed his hand as the couple left the restaurant and walked back to the station to catch a train to Sumire's house.

**November 6th, 20XX - Outside the Yoshizawa Household**

"Alright." Ren said as they approached the outside of the house. "You sure there's nobody in there who will notice us out here?"

"Yes. Dad is at work, Kasumi is off at her lesson with Coach Hiraguchi, and Mom is usually watching one of her dramas at this time." Sumire answered with a look of determination.

"Okay. We're just going to go scout the place out, you understand? Try to avoid encountering any shadows. It would be especially bad if Kasumi's shadow caught us. Not only that, but there are likely cognitive versions of ourselves in there. We need to avoid them at all costs." Ren explained.

"I understand Senpai. Let's go." She said with a fierce tone of voice.

At that moment, Ren pressed the button on the Nav, causing the world around them to alter. Once the world had finished transforming, the couple turned around to see what had become of Sumire's house.

It was a ginormous stadium. There were bright neon lights all around it as helicopters flew overhead, seeming to belong to television stations. Sumire looked over at the large arch over the entrance and saw a couple of shadows guarding it. The couple immediately hunched down to try and avoid their line of sight. Standing outside was a line of people that traveled as far as the eye can see.

"Looks like we might need to find another way in." Sumire said.

"Maybe not..." Ren responded. 

"What do you mean?" Sumire asked inquisitively.

"Well for starters, look at our clothes." Ren told her.

Sumire looked at him to see that he was still in his casual clothes from earlier. She looked down at herself and also noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual gymnast leotard from the Metaverse.

"Doesn't this mean we aren't considered threats?" Sumire asked.

"That seems to make the most sense." Ren answered. He then pointed to another, smaller arch off to the side of the main one. It was missing the huge line that the other one had. "That's another entrance. It's marked "VIP". We might be able to enter through there."

"Wha- but didn't you say we should avoid the shadows?" Sumire was taken back by Ren's suggestion.

"Well that was before I knew we weren't deemed threats. Besides these shadows seem to be like the ones from Sae's palace. At least, the ones that ran the chip shops." Ren explained.

"So they won't attack us?" Sumire asked.

"I don't think so… Let's go try it out." Ren said as he stood back up and led Sumire over to the smaller entrance. The pair hesitated for a moment, before approaching the shadow standing before it.

" _ Amamiya-sama! … and Sumire-chan? We've been expecting you! Please come in! _ " The guard announced as the couple approached him.

'Quite a difference in honorifics…' Ren thought.

Ren and Sumire walked past the entrance where they were led down a long red carpet. Suddenly, many cognitive people from outside the stadium ran up to take photos of Ren.

"What the-?" Ren exclaimed. The cognitive paparazzi continued to take photo after photo as Sumire stood behind him, flabbergasted. It seemed that none of them were trying to grab her attention.

"I would normally be a little envious, but I can't help but be glad I'm not in your position right now Senpai…" She mumbled with an awkward smile.

The paparazzi began to pelt him with questions.

" _ Amamiya-sama! How do you feel about your victory from the last competition? _ " One reporter shouted.

"My… last victory?" Ren asked. 'What are they talking about?'

Soon, some more guards showed up and began to shoo away the paparazzi.

" _ Please do not bother Amamiya-sama!" _ They yelled as they began to shove the leftover camera-people out of the way.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Ren said as he and Sumire began to run into the stadium.

After arriving there were a couple different paths ahead of them.

"Main Field…" Sumire read the first one out loud. 

"No way. We definitely don't want any more attention." Ren said.

"Competitors Corner…" Sumire read the next one out. "Who even are the competitors? There's no way it could just be shadows could it?" She asked.

"I doubt it. I imagine only people who are important enough can compete." Ren answered.

His mind jumped back to the question that the reporter had asked him earlier when they were trying to enter the building. 'My victory last year? Did the cognitive version of me compete? If so, what did I win?'

He then turned around to see the last other path. "Hall of Champions." He said.

"What's that?" Sumire tried to peek inside. It was covered in gold all over, as a large portrait of Kasumi hung over the main lobby. "It kinda looks like a museum?" She thought out loud.

Ren pondered for a moment. "Let's only look inside one today. And if these are our only options, it would probably be best to only look at the Hall of Champions. There is less of a chance of us running into anyone we don't want to interact with."

"I agree." Sumire nodded in return. "Let's go check it out."

The couple then entered the area. All around them were gold medals and trophies from Kasumi's competitions. Behind each stood a large photo of her receiving the award.

Sumire walked up to one and investigated it closely. "These are from the actual competitions she's won before!" She pointed out. She looked down to see a plaque with some brief text on it. "Osaka Young Women's Tournament 2013 - Champion: Kasumi Yoshizawa"

  
  


"I guess it makes sense that she keeps a record of all her victories… come on. Let's keep looking through." Ren said as he and Sumire continued to walk through the hall.

After around a minute of walking, Ren noticed something. She stuck out his arm to keep Sumire from moving. "Look over there!"

He pointed over to what appeared to be another stand for a trophy, yet it was missing?

Sumire walked up to it and read what was written on the plaque. "Gekkoukan High Young Women's Tournament 20XX - Champion-" She cut off.

"Huh? What does it say?" Ren asked as he peeked over her shoulder. He quickly noticed why she had cut herself off.

"It's blank…" Sumire muttered.

Ren looked up to where the photo was located.

Ren began to speak as he noticed something was wrong with the picture. "Hey isn't that the photo of you winning that tournament..? But-" 

He was cut off by a loud gasp coming from Sumire. It was the photo of Sumire winning the tournament, except, instead of Sumire being present, it was a pitch black silhouette holding the trophy. 

"But… why?" Sumire asked. She covered her mouth and was still gaping open with shock.

"I have a theory. You may not like to hear this but…" Ren paused before Sumire looked back at him and nodded, showing that she was okay with him continuing. "Deep down, she may not really acknowledge you as the winner of that competition." Ren sighed as he finished his theory.

Sumire paused for a moment before deciding to speak up again. "T-that makes sense I suppose…" She began to have many different thoughts about what she was seeing

'She really is distorted… I wanna help her. I really do. But… would everyone else be okay with helping?' She pondered before Ren decided to speak again.

"Do you wanna keep going? Or are you tired today?" Ren asked.

"I-I'm fine… let's at least explore this whole area." She muttered before continuing her walk down the hall.

The couple continued to walk past all the other trophies before reaching another door. Above it stood a large sign that Ren decided to read out loud.

"Other Champions?" Ren said in a confused manner.

"I didn't think there would be any other Champions in this place?" Sumire pondered as she read the sign for a second time.

"I guess we should go check it out." Ren said as he led the way and opened the door. The pair gasped as they saw what first awaited them upon their entry. It was a large, silver statue of Sumire.

"It's… a statue of me?" Sumire asked as she got closer to examine the statue. It was accurate to her actual height. She was wearing her usual school uniform and had an expression of shyness as it's eyes peered down and away from the front.

Ren got closer and noticed another plaque that was in front of the statue. He began to read it out loud, so Sumire could hear while continuing to examine the statue.

_ The Champion of the Shadows _

_ Sumire Yoshizawa _

_ Sumire had always remained in the shadows of her much more successful sister, Kasumi Yoshizawa. She always looked up to Kasumi-sama and has never attempted to backstab her, despite her jealousy of her sister's many awards, friends, and popularity. She had yet to win a single competition over her sister and likely never will. _

The plaque hurt to read. Ren felt worse and worse after every word. Could his friend really feel this way about Sumire? About her sister? Ren looked over at Sumire, fully expecting to see her in tears, but instead, her look of determination had returned.

"Senpai, I don't know when, but we need to do this. We need to target her." Sumire said with a fierce tone of voice.

"I agree. But we need to wait a while. We've got to have our plan to deal with  _ the traitor _ work without any hang-ups." Ren nodded.

"I understand, let's keep looking a little more, there seems to be one more area in here." Sumire walked over and turned the corner.

"WHAT!?" She yelled before covering her mouth of fear that someone might hear her.

"Sumi!? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked.

"Senpai. I think you need to come look at this." Sumire said, reaching out her arm to guide Ren to what she was seeing.

Ren walked over ranf turned around only to see-

"ME!?" He yelled.

It was a huge tapestry of Ren. He was dressed in his school uniform, and had a large smile. It was hung over the entire wall at the end of the hall.

Sumire began to read the words that were written on it.

_ Champion of the Heart _

_ Ren Amamiya _

_ Ren Amamiya became the Champion of Kasumi-sama's heart after his victory during the last competition. She has deemed that only he is worthy of her, and therefore is her's in his entirety. Amamiya-sama has continued his training with the assistance of Kasumi-sama to ensure that they are the strongest couple in the world. _

"What the hell…" Ren was simultaneously scared and embarrassed when he finished hearing what Sumire read.

Sumire began to speak again. "D-does that mean she really doesn't acknowledge that you're with me?" She asked.

"I… guess not." Ren answered hesitantly. "Come on." Ren grabbed her arm. "This is the end right? We should probably get going."

"Right. Let's go." Sumire responded as the couple left the palace.

As reality returned to normal, a voice rang out from Ren's phone.

" _ Returned to the real world. Thank you for your work in Kasumi's Palace. _ "

"Senpai…" Sumire pressed her face against Ren's chest. "I wanna help her. She can't continue to live like this."

"I know." Ren wrapped his arms around Sumire. "I wanna help her too. She's a close friend after all. But… we just don't have the time right now."

"I understand…" Sumire began to sniffle.

Ren decided to try and comfort her. "Listen Sumi. I promise that when all this stuff calms down, we'll try and get the others to agree to help us out."

"Thank you Senpai…" Sumire mumbled, her voice still muffled by her face being pressed against Ren.

Ren paused and thought for a moment. "Listen. When this plan goes into action on the day of the heist. You're gonna need to be a pretty good actor."

Sumire looked up, confused at Ren's statement. "What do you mean, Senpai?" She asked.

"I mean… She knows about the Phantom Thieves. You're gonna have to convince her that I actually died. At least, only for a little while." Ren explained.

"I get it. But I still feel bad about it. I know I asked you to keep your distance earlier, but would you be alright if I had her meet up with you to help calm her down and assure her that you didn't actually die?" Sumire asked.

"That should be fine…" Ren answered.

"Good. Well since we're here, I'm gonna head on home. Love you Senpai!" She hopped up and pecked him on the cheek.

"Love you too, Kouhai." He said in response.

"I told you not to call me that!" Sumire barked as she returned home.

After she went inside, Ren decided to return back to Leblanc. Soon, the plan was going to be in action, and the "Suicide" of the Phantom Thieves Leader is going to rock the world.


	25. A Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren had a meeting with everyone after his alleged "suicide".

"You're shitting me..." Ryuji mumbled as a grin grew across his face. "We got 'em."

**November 20th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

" _The leader of the Phantom Thieves has committed suicide in custody. Police are investigating his death as we speak…_ " The voice on the TV said as all the sound began to drain from Kasumi's mind.

"No."

"There's no way he would do that…"

"Not Ren."

She continued to mutter over and over before pulling out her phone. She opened her contacts and tried to call him.

* _Ring* *Ring*_

No answer.

"What the hell Ren..?" She muttered before trying again.

* _Ring* *Ring*_

Nothing.

She opened her texts and began typing.

Kasumi: Ren what happened?

Kasumi: Are you okay?

Kasumi: Answer me right now.

Still nothing.

A realization set it. 'Sumire. She'll know.' Kasumi thought as she ran upstairs to her sister's room. She knocked on the door before trying to open it, only to find that it was locked.

"Sumire! Let me in! Please… what happened to him!?" Kasumi's voice became more and more unstable as she continued.

There was no response from the other side. Kasumi pressed her ear against the wall to see if she could hear anything. She heard light gasping which seemed to suggest that Sumire was crying.

"No…" Kasumi whispered.

In her room, Sumire simply sat on her bed praying that Ren managed to convince Sae Niijima to help him escape. 'I'm sorry Kasumi… but this has to work.' She thought.

Kasumi returned to her room in silence. Many different scenarios played out in her head and soon, only one thought plagued her mind.

'What if he actually is dead?' She thought. 'Ren wouldn't kill himself… no way. He wouldn't do that to me… to her. He was the leader of the Phantom Thieves… if anything, what's most likely is that…'

Her eyes grew wide open at this realization. "Someone else killed him." She mumbled. 

Suddenly, she felt a shock of pain in her head as a voice that she didn't recognize called out to her. She fell to her knees in pain as it began to speak.

**_"Don't you ..ant to ta.. venge..ce?"_ ** It asked.

"What!?" Kasumi cried out in pain as it continued.

**_"You want to right the wrongs that others caused to whom you care about most?"_ **It's voice grew more clear.

"Yes..." Kasumi gasped as she caught her breath from the intense pain in her head.

**_"Soon, a time will come where you are given that opportunity. Be sure to take care of yourself till then, mademoiselle."_ ** And with that, the voice and pain disappeared.

"What was that…?" Kasumi whispered. "And why am I so sleep-" She cut herself off as her body fell over on it's own as she fell asleep.

**November 21st, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

This was a very challenging day for Kasumi. Sumire didn't come to school. Kasumi chalked it up to not feeling emotionally confident enough. She wished she could do the same, but she had practice that morning and thought that Ren wouldn't have wanted her to skip it. She spent all her free time searching for Ren, to see if maybe it really wasn't true. But to avail. Ren was nowhere to be seen.

**November 21st, 20XX - Leblanc**

Sumire sat at the counter while Sojiro continued to watch the news. He looked back and saw that her cup was about empty, before starting to work on a refill.

"You know," He began. "I certainly hope nobody comes in here to see I'm helping a student skip school today." He gave a small smirk.

"It's alright. Ren-senpai told me that nobody comes in here anyways so we'll be fine. Plus, I'm not wearing my uniform." She looked back down at herself and admired the blue dress that Ren had bought her for her birthday all those months ago.

Sojiro got a little upset about her comments on the store, but decided to not pursue them. "Right… Ren. Are you confident this plan of yours will work?" He asked.

Sumire nodded. "I have faith in him. I know he won't let me down." She felt a small smile and some pink appear on her face.

'What a match…' Sojiro scoffed as he continued working.

Suddenly, a sound from the door could be heard.

"You're right you know. Disappointing Ms. Kouhai is probably number one on the do not do list." Ren said as he entered the store.

"SENPAI!" Sumire stood up and ran over to him before jumping to give him a giant hug.

"Woah there! I'm still feeling nauseous from all the drugs." Ren said as he set her down.

"Your back so early! I thought you wouldn't be able to return until tonight?" Sumire asked.

"That's because he wouldn't stop bugging me that it had to be now…" Another voice said as they entered the store.

"Niijima-san!" Sojiro exclaimed.

"Yep. She's the one who got me out of there." Ren said as he stuck his thumb back to point at the older woman behind him.

"I-I can't think you enough Niijima-san." Sumire said as she looked behind her boyfriend at the other woman.

"It's quite alright. He's been through a lot though. I suggest you go take him up to rest for a while." Sae suggested.

"Will do!" Sumire saluted, causing a group of awkward looks from the others. Sumire grabbed Ren's hand and put her other arm around his waist as she guided him back up to his bed.

"I never would've thought you'd be in on this stuff too..." Sojiro sighed.

"Indeed. Those kids have a lot of explaining to do." Sae said as she sat down and ordered a cup.

Back upstairs, Sumire laid Ren back down in his bed so he could begin to recover.

"You know Sumi, while I am glad that you're here to _nurse me back to health_ …" He teased, causing Sumire's face to glow red. "How come you aren't at school?" He asked.

"There's no way I could go without knowing you're completely safe!" She shouted. She then covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. "P-plus what about Kasumi? She would catch on quick if I wasn't always acting upset." 

"That's true… and what did you do last night?" Ren asked.

"I locked the door and played this." Sumire pulled out her phone and began to play an audio file. "It's a fake crying sound of me that I made not too long ago." She answered.

A smirk appeared on Ren's face. "What a crafty Kouhai."

"Senpai! I told you not to call me that!" Her face grew red again.

"Not until you stop calling me Senpai~" Ren teased.

"So never!?" Sumire responded in shock.

"I guess so…." Ren snickered.

Sumire decided to move on. "A-anyways. We're having everyone over tonight to explain what happened to Boss-san and Niijima-san. But what about Kasumi? I don't wanna leave her in the dark forever…" she mumbled.

Ren thought for a moment. "I mean… she already knows about us so… she could come tonight?" He suggested.

"I guess that's fine." Sumire answered. "Plus that way she won't be alone with you…" She mumbled.

"What was that last part?" Ren asked.

"Nothingitwasnothinglet'smoveon!" She squeaked.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'll get Ryuji-senpai or someone to tell her to come by here later." Sumire said.

"Sounds good." Ren smiled. "What do you wanna do until then?" He asked.

In a rather bold move, Sumire got up and laid on the bed next to him.

"Just enjoy this moment." She whispered.

Ren continued smiling as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.

'What a bold Kouhai…' he thought as he began to drift asleep for the time being.

**November 21st, 20XX - Shujin Academy**

"Hey Yoshizawa!" A voice behind Kasumi called out.

'I'm not in the mood today, buzz off.' Is what she thought before turning around to see Ryuji. 'Isn't this one of Ren's friends? Why don't they seem upset?' 

"Oh. Sakarage… was it?" Kasumi asked. 

"N-no but forget it…." Ryuji sighed. "Listen. You know Leblanc right?"

'Why is he asking about there? Of course I know.' She thought. "Yeah." She answered.

"Good, you should go there around seven tonight!" Ryuji told her.

"Why…" Kasumi mumbled. "Why would I ever wanna go there if I know he won't be there?" She asked.

'This is awkward…' Ryuji sighed. "Just trust me okay?" And with that, Ryuji went back to class.

'I guess… I could go say goodbye.' Kasumi thought as she felt tears appear.

**November 21st, 20XX - Leblanc**

Kasumi approached the store as the clock neared seven. She noticed the lights were on, and that the boy from earlier was in there as well, along with a group of others. 'Why am I here? Are they seriously just having a party or something? Their friend just died and they just got over it!?' She felt herself get angrier and angrier as she entered the store.

"What-" Is all she got out as she saw who was standing across from her. 

'It's Ren! He's alive! He didn't leave me…' She thought.

"H-hey Kasumi. Sorry I didn't answer your texts…" Ren said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I can't believe it… You're alive!" She dashed over to him before getting cut off by-

"Sumire!?" Kasumi gasped as her sister got up and stood in front of her.

"...One hug. You get one hug." Sumire said.

Kasumi quickly nodded her head. She didn't care if she was given a condition. She was just so happy to see him again.

Sumire turned back and got out of her way before Kasumi took a deep breath.

"Ren!" She jumped up and tackled him, causing them both to fall to the floor.

She pressed her face into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt the tears of happiness and relief wash over her.

"It's okay you didn't answer! I'm just so happy that you're safe! Never do anything like that again! You need to explain everything to me right now…" She kept going for quite a while before Ren finally managed to push her off of him before they both stood back up.

"We're gonna do just that. Here's how it started…"

Ren and the others began to tell Kasumi, Sojiro, and Sae about their plan. That Goro Akechi set them up to be caught and how he betrayed them. He explained the Metaverse and how it worked, while going over how the outside of Sae's palace was just like the real world. He explained what happened with him in the cognitive version of the interrogation room, and how Akechi thought he killed him, whereas all he really did was take out Sae's cognitive version of him. He also dragged real officers into the Metaverse, which led to the news of the fake suicide spread, as they all believed the cognitive version of Ren, was the real one.

"So that Akechi guy was the one who set you all up?" Sojiro asked.

"I always sensed there was something up… but I couldn't put my finger on it." Sae mumbled.

"I swear…" Kasumi began.

"Kasumi? What's wrong?" Sumire asked.

"THE NEXT TIME I SEE THAT SMUG BASTARD I'M GONNA TEAR HIM APART!" Kasumi yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Kasumi. It's okay. I'm right here. He didn't kill me." Ren waved to try and comfort her.

"I know… it's just… he tried to take you away from m- us…" Kasumi began to mumble.

"Trust me. We're all pissed too." Ryuji tried to calm her down.

"She brings up a good point though…" Ann muttered.

"What do you mean, Ann-chan?" Haru asked.

Ann began. "Well, what are we gonna do about him?" She asked.

"Well. He still thinks I'm dead for the time being. So I doubt he's gonna come for us anytime soon. Why don't we cross that bridge when we get there?" Ren said.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded as Sojiro began to speak up.

"Earlier you mentioned that Akechi was working for someone. Have you all figured out who's behind all this?" He asked.

"Akechi accidentally let that slip after the "murder." Futaba spoke up. She pulled out her phone and began to play an audio file. During the recording, Akechi said "Shido-san".

"Shido? You mean Masayoshi Shido?" Sojiro was shocked.

"It would make sense… the man has the power and influence. He's also gained a lot of traction by slandering the Phantom Thieves." Sae added.

The group then began to explain how their next target would be Shido. Ryuji took out his phone and found a hit for a palace. They still needed to find his keywords before they could enter. They also needed to take his heart before the election.

Sae decided to speak up. "Alright well, it's getting late. With the exception of Ren and Futaba-chan, you all have school tomorrow. It's time for you all to head home."

The group got up and began to head their separate ways. Kasumi got up to say one last goodbye.

"Listen Ren." She pointed at him. "You're gonna come back in one piece. No suicide, fake or real. You're gonna come back safe and sound." 

"Of course. I promise." Ren said as he nodded his head.

"Good! Let's go Sumire." Kasumi said as she began to walk out of the store.

"Goodnight Senpai." She gave a little hop and pecked him in the cheek. "Let's knock out this one quick okay? We still need to…" She began before Ren decided to intervene.

"I know. But at this rate, we might have to wait until after Christmas. I'm sorry." Ren grabbed her hands with his.

"I-I understand. Shido takes priority. Goodnight Senpai. Love you." She gave him a warm smile.

"Love you too." Ren replied.

With that, everyone with the exception of Ren and Morgana went home. Shido is going to be a tough opponent. Not only that, but Akechi could discover the truth at any time. Ren would have to be very careful over the coming month.


	26. A Bait and Switch Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumire begins her plan to have a wonderful Christmas with Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying out a slightly different format this time, mostly with less spacing between paragraphs. Please let me know if you prefer it this way, or the older way.

**November 27th, 20XX - Shido's Palace, Boiler Room**

"Damn… it.." Akechi stuttered as he looked back at the shadows surrounding him, along with the cognitive version of himself. He tried to kill the thieves just a moment ago, only to find himself raising the wall in order to protect them from the shadows. 

"I'll hold onto your glove. We still need to finish this, right?" He heard from over the wall. 'That's right…' Akechi thought before turning back to face the enemies.

"If anyone gets to kill them… IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Akechi shrieked as he aimed his gun and the other version of himself. The cognitive Akechi fired, but the real Akechi managed to jump out of the way in time, only to fire and kill the cognitive version of himself.

"Get him!" One of the shadows yelled as they came for the still injured Crow. He grabbed a couple of items in his pocket, and pulled them out. 'Thanks for giving me these back in the casino, Joker!' He cackled before throwing the first one, a smoke bomb down.

"Where did he go!?" Another shadow said, alarmed. 'Now…' Akechi used the last of his stamina to cast a Megidolaon, wiping all the shadows around him out. He then threw down the next item, a Goho-m, causing him to appear at the entrance of the palace.

"G-guess I gotta play dead for a while, huh?" He asked himself as he limped his way out of the Metaverse.

_____________________________________

"His signal is gone…" Oracle sighed as she floated down from inside of her Persona, Prometheus. 

The group stood in silence for a moment. Akechi was their enemy, and yet… There was always a hope among the team that he would realize the error of his ways and try to atone for his sins.

"I may never forgive him, but I'm not sure if he really deserved to die like that." Noir stated as she decided to break the deafening silence among the group.

"Right…" Panther tried to agree.

"Well let's finish this." Joker announced as he took the lead. "It's what he would've wanted."

"Right!" The rest of the team yelled as they left the room. They inserted all of their letters and opened the door to the treasure. After that, they left for the day, knowing that their final showdown with Shido was near.

_____________________________________

**December 19th, 20XX - Leblanc**

It was the day after Shido's confession, he admitted to everything. Including being the one who orchestrated the Mental Shutdown incidents. Ren and Sumire had discussed the possibility of taking on Kasumi's palace with their extra time, but decided against it. After they sent the calling card to Shido, they thought it best to keep their heads down for the time being. And of course, the exams were coming up right after he had just returned to school. The group decided to hold a study session at Leblanc.

"I'm just going to be focusing on the subjects that are for sure going to be on the test. We're far too short on time." Makoto said as she began to show Ren the work on her books.

"Ooh! Taking a gamble huh?" Futaba teased.

"I-I don't know if I'll be much help, but I'll do my best to support you Ren-senpai!" Sumire affirmed as she grabbed Ren's arm for support.

"If Makoto's wrong… we're gonna die." Ryuji said with a defeated look in his eyes.

"I don't wanna die…" Ann whined from the other side of the booth.

The group worked for around an hour or so before Ryuji slammed the book on the table, much to the surprise of everyone.

"That's it! I'm done! Why do I need to study anyways? I'll be just fine with the stuff I learned from the Phantom Thieves work." He looked over at Ren. "I mean, doesn't this feel kinda pointless?"

Ren shook his head. "For the time being, at least, it's pretty important. You aren't gonna go far in life if you can't graduate high school, Ryuji."

"It is most certainly necessary for Ryuji." Yusuke scoffed.

"You wanna say that again!?" Ryuji barked in return.

Sojiro decided to try and step in, as well as add his own wisdom to the teens. "Those sorts of experiences are important too, but common sense is just as important. You all should know better than anyone how nasty adults without common sense can be."

"You have a great point, Boss-san." Haru replied.

Sojiro gave a smile to the girl sitting across from him. "But like Ren touched on earlier, someday you'll graduate high school and become adults. Then when you get married, you'll need more common sense than ever."

Ryuji looked oddly shocked before turning back to Ren. "Marriage huh… Do you wanna get married, Ren?"

"Of course." Ren answered swiftly. "I look forward to it one day."

"M-m-m-marriage!?" Sumire got flustered and tried to hide her face beneath her hands.

"Aww! Looks like she wants to get married! So when's the ring Ren?" Futaba joked at her friend's expense.

"N-not yet at least…" Ren sighed as he tried to comfort the blushing beauty sitting beside him.

"R-right. That can't happen at least until Ren graduates college." Sumire tried to shake off the comment, before seeing Ann and Futaba grin from across the table and realizing her mistake.

"So you are planning it!" Ann laughed as she pointed at the couple from across the booth.

Yusuke managed to finally read the room for once and tried to change the subject. "Well that won't be for a long time. In the meantime, I'm more worried about what I'll be eating tonight."

Ryuji made a loud groan that got everyone's attention. "Dude! Don't say that! Now you're makin' me hungry. Whatever, let's get back to studyin' I guess…" he sighed as the group got back to work.

After around another hour or so. They decided to call it a night. Futaba and Sojiro returned home, while Ren walked with the rest of the group to the station and said his goodbyes. He and Sumire shared a quick kiss before she left as well. As they were walking back to the store, Morgana decided to start a conversation to dispel the silence.

"So… Ren. What are you thinking of getting Sumire for Christmas?" He looked up at his partner as he asked.

Ren's face displayed a look of horror. "Shit! I completely forgot that Christmas is coming up!" Ren said, extremely disappointed in himself. "I mean, I wanna do something great for her, but I'm not sure what our options are…" He began to ponder before he felt a buzz coming from his pocket. "Speak of the devil…" He mumbled.

Sumire : Hi Ren-senpai! I wanted to let you know about this because I was thinking about it earlier.

Ren: Of course, what is it Sumi?

Sumire: It's about Christmas. I know how you usually like to show off, but I was kinda hoping we could just have a small, cozy day together. No big gifts or anything.

Ren: If that's what you want, it's fine with me.

Sumire : Thank you Senpai! My stop is coming up so I'm gonna go. Love you.

Ren: Love you too.

"Well I guess that narrowed it down." Ren said as he looked back at Morgana and told him about her request.

Morgana nodded. "I'll be sure to help you pick out a fabulous gift! But… could you get me a small present too?"

"What are you talking about?" Ren raised an eyebrow at the cat who now had the look of someone who was about to say something embarrassing.

"W-well… I certainly don't wanna get in you two's way in Christmas and all, so I was wondering if you could maybe arrange it so I could spend it with Lady Ann?" The cat said with pouty eyes that would probably work on anyone who didn't know his real personality.

Ren sighed. "Fine… I'll see what I can do. Only if you help me, that is." Ren said with a small grin on his face.

"Really? It's a deal!" Morgana said as he hopped up to give his partner a high-five.

The pair then returned to Leblanc and had an early nights sleep to prepare for the exams beginning tomorrow.

**December 19th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

"Got him!" Sumire cheered under her breath as she saw Ren's replies to her texts. She told him he just wanted a small-scale holiday together, when in actuality, Sumire was planning something big. As she returned home, she retreated and opened up her personal journal to a recent page she was writing in.

_[TOP SECRET]_

She felt a little embarrassed having written that at the top, but she didn't exactly want to remove it either.

_My 4-Step Christmas Plan for Senpai!_

  1. _Trick him into thinking it'll be a small-scale day._
  2. _Surprise him with the first gift: Two tickets to Destinyland!_
  3. _Return to Leblanc and give the second gift: A dinner made by me!_
  4. _Give him the third, and final gift: The necklace!_



After looking back over the list, she crossed out the first step, now having completed it. Sumire had been planning this for a long while. She thought about how Ren had done so much for her, and she wanted to repay him for it. She could imagine him saying something like "You don't owe me anything in return!" Or something along those lines, but she didn't really care. She wanted to show him how much she loved him. 'This time it's my turn to show off Ren!' Sumire paused for a moment after realizing what she just said, even if just in her head. "R-R-Ren." She tried to mutter out. She then looked back at her list, and decided to make one more addition.

  1. ~~_Trick him into thinking it'll be a small-scale day._~~
  2. _Surprise him with the first gift: Two tickets to Destinyland!_
  3. _Return to Leblanc and give the second gift: A dinner made by me!_
  4. _Give him the third, and final gift: The necklace!_
  5. _Start calling him by his first name._



Sumire nodded her head in determination. She was gonna blow him away! She ran downstairs and went to meet with her father.

"Hey dad, I was wondering if you got those things I asked for?" Sumire asked her father, who was currently relaxing on the couch watching the news.

Shinichi then pulled out an envelope and handed it to his daughter. "Two tickets to Destinyland on Christmas day!" He said with a smile. "I'm surprised I managed to get them so close to the day of, even with the connections I had." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thank you so much dad!" She gave him a big hug. She broke it off after her father tried asking her about them. "So are you planning to take Ren-kun with you?" He asked.

Sumire nodded. "I'm planning out a big day for us on Christmas. I want to thank him properly for everything he's done for me." She said with a faint smile.

Shinichi returned her smile with one of his own. "Well you know I'm happy if you are… and if you'd like, he can stay over at our place that night Sumire."

"R-really? I was kinda worried about asking…" She mumbled.

Shinichi let out a small laugh. "It's alright. Just make sure you have an enjoyable time."

"Right! Thank you dad!" Sumire said as she returned back upstairs. She began to think about her plan once again. 'Oh right! I still need to buy the necklace!' She slapped her head a little in embarrassment. She pulled out her phone and opened up her texting app.

Sumire : Hello Ann-senpai. I was wondering if you could show me the store that those necklaces you sent me some photos of was?

Ann : Of course! I should have some time after school tomorrow, how about then?

Sumire : Sounds great! Let's meet at the station in Shibuya.

With that, Sumire put her phone away and got ready for bed. She was determined to make her plan succeed.

**December 20th, 20XX - Underground Mall**

"Ann-senpai? Is the store around here?" Sumire said as she followed the other girl. Ann turned around quickly and gave a warm smile in return.

"Yup! I was down here looking for something to wear for a photo shoot the other day and that's where I saw these!" Ann said as the two entered the small store. It was covered head to toe in expensive jewelry of many different shapes and sizes. Sumire began to scan over the necklace section before spotting the one she had been looking for. It was a small men's necklace with a locket at the end.

"E-excuse me!" Sumire waved to try and get the storekeeper's attention. "Could I please look at this one?" She pointed down towards the necklace. The employee came over and took out the necklace before handing it to Sumire to look over. Sumire pressed the small button on the side to reveal the inside of the locket, a small slot to fit a photo inside. "Perfect…" She whispered.

Ann then noticed what Sumire was looking at and came over to see it for herself. "Woah Sumire! I didn't take you for someone with good taste in jewelry. Er- Sorry, that came off a little meaner than I hoped…" she mumbled.

Sumire shook her hands to try and calm Ann down. "Please! It's alright. I know I don't have much of a fashion sense. Kasumi and Ren-senpai have kinda made fun of it before…"

Ann's eyes widened at her friend's comments. "Oh I get it! You're buying your Christmas gift for Ren!" She exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. "You definitely made a great choice!"

"T-thank you Ann-senpai! But please don't tell him anything. I want to keep this a surprise for him." Sumire said as Ann began to shake her head.

"Don't worry. I won't say a thing. Why don't you go ahead and check out if that's what you're getting." Ann said as she nudged towards the cashier.

"R-right! I'll take this please!" Sumire said as she took out her wallet from her handbag. Ann looked over and noticed the price on the register.

"Holy cow! That's super expensive! You have the money for that Sumire?" Ann exclaimed.

"Yes. I've been saving up for a while now. Plus I don't usually spend a lot on myself. I'll still have plenty even after I get this." Sumire said as she handed the money to the cashier, and was given the necklace in exchange.

"Well in that case, would you want to go get some sweets while we're here?" Ann asked with pleading eyes.

"Sure! That sounds like fun!" Sumire said as the pair left to go to Ann's favorite crepe shop. They spent some more time shopping before going their separate ways for the day.

**December 20th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Sumire returned to her room and set the necklace aside. She pulled out a small photo that she had printed out of the pair during the ball at the Kirijo Manor during the summer, and slid it into the photo slot inside the locket. Ren was in his fancy suit, as well as Sumire in her dress. She still remembered all the compliments that he had given her during that night. She then pulled out some packaging that she had kept and began to wrap it. She added a small bow to tie it together once all the paper was over the box it was being held in. "Done!" Sumire said as she finished up her gift wrapping. 'Well… I guess I could start working on the other one now…' She thought as she entered her bathroom. She locked the door and stared at herself in the mirror.

"R-R-Ren."

"R-Ren?"

"Ren…"

She took a deep breath before starting again.

"Ren! Ren! Ren! Ren! Ren! R-"

Suddenly, a voice could be heard from outside the door. "Sumire? What are you doing?" Kasumi asked. She had walked by and heard her sister practicing her lines.

"Um- well- I-I'm uh-" She continued to stutter, much to her sister's simultaneous amusement and annoyance.

"You're saying Ren over and over into the mirror?" Kasumi asserted. Sumire's face had grown bright red, thought at least nobody else could see it.

"Y-yeah… I'm trying to practice saying it without the senpai attached…" Sumire sighed as she just decided to reveal what she was doing to her sister.

"Oh." Is all Kasumi said before leaving. Sumire heard her footsteps move farther and farther away. 'Thank goodness she's gone. Now…' She looked back at herself in the mirror. She immediately noticed the red on her face and decided. 'I think I'm done for today…' and with that, Sumire returned to her room for the night.

**December 20th, 20XX - Leblanc**

Ren: So is it fine if Morgana stays with you on Christmas? He didn't want to third-wheel me and Sumire.

Ann: Sure. I'll stop by to pick him up on Christmas Eve.

Ren: Thanks so much Ann.

Ann: Of course. You two enjoy your Christmas together.

"Yes! Thank you Ren!" Morgana yelled as he began to run around the room in excitement.

"Relax kitty." Ren said as he grabbed his partner by the collar to try and stop him in his tracks. "They mentioned a while ago that the others might have a group thing so it's not exactly gonna be a romantic day for you."

"Aww man…" Morgana sighed. "Well at least I can try and show off on Christmas Eve! I'm sure Lady Ann will swoon." He began to snicker to himself as Ren just looked on in disappointment.

"Well anyways, it's time for you to uphold your half of the deal." Ren said as he opened up his laptop that he received from Futaba recently. The other one that he had fixed up, was somehow locked to one site. So Futaba, decided to "graciously donate" (as she put it) one of her many to Ren.

"You know… I was thinking of buying her a ring." Ren said, much to Morgana's shock.

"A ring!? I thought you said you didn't want to get married yet? I mean, it's not like you can anyways… but still!" Morgana exclaimed as Ren shook his head.

"A ring doesn't have to mean a marriage proposal… I just wanted to get her something really nice." Ren sighed as he began to look at the rings on the site.

"Well… ooh! How about that one!" Morgana said as he pawed at a section of the screen. 

"Good eye kitty. I guess you always did have a keen eye for valuables." Ren said as he clicked on the one that the cat was referring to. It was a small silver ring, with a Ruby placed in the center. It was pretty expensive, about ¥500,000. But Ren supposed that only the best would do, and he definitely wasn't struggling in the money department thanks to Mementos.

"Alright, now that that's gonna come in on the 23rd, what else are you planning Ren?" Morgana asked as he returned to the bed and yawned.

"I'm not sure. She told me she just wanted a quiet day together, so we might just exchange gifts and hang around here.' Ren explained as he changed his clothes and hopped into bed. 

"Well alright I guess." Morgana yawned again. "We should probably get going to bed anyways."

As Ren closed his eyes, his mind returned to what happened in the palace not too long ago. Ren still wanted to keep his promise of a duel with Akechi, but now… he wasn't sure of what to make of it. Akechi's fate was still so unclear to him. Shido has been dealt with and is now on trial. Christmas was coming soon and Ren was going to have an enjoyable time with Sumire. And after the new year, he hoped they could finally tackle Kasumi's palace. Hopefully, everything was going to return to normal soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm most fics I read, it's usually AkiRen who comes up with the big dates and shows of affection for Sumi. So I thought it would be interesting to have Sumire be the one who plans the big Christmas date. Next chapter will likely be half main plot, and half Christmas fluff, as I'm sure you all know what happens on Christmas Eve in game.


	27. A World Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves face off against their greatest threat left. A surprise guest meets with Sae. And Sumire and Ren spend Christmas Eve together.

**December 24th, 20XX - ???**

Ren awoke suddenly to find himself back in the Velvet Room. His mind was still racing over what had just happened. It was not long before the voice Ren had long since grown accustomed to, began to speak.

"In the end, your rehabilitation was not carried through. It appears I have overestimated you" Igor spoke.

Ren got up and dashed over to the bars in front of him as he soon remembered the events that led to his current situation. He watched in horror as all of his team had disappeared in the middle of Shibuya. "Where are they!? Where is everyone else?" Ren barked at the old man sitting across from him.

Igor soon began to explain how his thoughts on humans had changed since this "game", as he called it, began. He now saw them as apathetic and foolish. He believed Ren was living proof of that, and ordered the twins to kill him. Using whatever will he had to break out of this situation that was left, Ren managed to make the bars disappear and returned to his Phantom Thief attire. The twin wardens soon realized that killing him was not the way, and their memories returned. They asked Ren to fuse the two, and when he did, a new face had appeared. Lavenza was who the twins originally were, yet were torn apart by the thing calling itself Igor. The being soon revealed that it was actually the Holy Grail, and that "Ruin" would be arriving soon. With its disappearance, the real Igor returned. After some brief introductions, Lavenza told Ren that his friends were past the door, in the area behind them. Ren made a mad dash to the new area of the room.

'I need to find her… to make sure she's okay…' Ren thought as he ran around and came across a cell that had Ryuji inside. After a brief pep talk, the bars before him had disappeared. Ren then left to go find the others. Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, but still no Sumire or Morgana.

'There!' Ren thought as he saw one last cell with a certain dark red set of hair peeping out. Ren ran over to see Sumire leaning against the wall with her hands over her face, she appears to have been crying. "Sumi? It's me." Ren tried to grab her attention.

"REN-SENPAI!" Sumire yelped as she ran over to the bars and tried to give him a hug, despite the metal between them. "I was so scared… I was worried that I lost you. I didn't know where I was, and it was dark, and- and-" She continued to mutter quietly as she wept. 

Ren shushed to try and calm her down as he held his hands on her shoulders through the bars. "It's okay. We're somewhere safe. But we can't stay here forever. We need to get back out there and take that thing down." Ren explained.

"But how!? We aren't strong enough. That thing wiped the floor with us. We can't do it Ren. I can't lose you for certain. I don't want to feel how I felt again!" Sumire cried as Ren continued to try and comfort her.

"Listen to me Sumire." Ren gave her a stern look that seemed to stop most of the tears from falling. "I've told you this before, and I'll keep telling you for the rest of our lives. You, Sumire Yoshizawa, are the strongest person I know. You've been through so much more than that stupid cup can put us through, and you've managed to overcome it all. You're gonna show that thing who's boss."

Sumire went quiet for a moment before a small giggle came from her mouth. "You're awfully stern sometimes Senpai. But you're right! I can't let that thing take away everything I've worked so hard to achieve!"

"That's the spirit!" Ren cheered as the bars between the two disappeared. As soon as they did, Sumire ran in for a real hug.

"Especially when I have an important date tonight!" Sumire teased before giving Ren a kiss on the lips.

Ren felt a little embarrassed as she grabbed his hand and the two returned to the main area of the Velvet Room. After an explanation and the return of a certain feline, who's true identity as a creation of Igor to assist the trickster was revealed, the group returned to Shibuya. It was covered in what appeared to be parts of Mementos, and the worst part, nobody seemed to notice. Or rather, nobody cared.

Lavenza explained the mission to the thieves. "You all need to reach the top of that tower! In there lies the Holy Grail. Once it is defeated, the world will return to normal!"

Ryuji decided to interject. "But what about all this!?" He pointed all around the area. There were parts of Mementos everywhere, and even some shadows began to appear in the city.

Ann yelled over the increasing volume of traffic, in combination with the loud wind blowing over the city. "There's no way we can split up to take care of them!"

Ren quickly remembered something that was in his possession. He opened up the business card that he had received during his summer vacation. "Here!" He yelled. He pulled out his phone and began to dial the number before receiving another call. "Dr. Maruki?" He mumbled. Before answering, he passed the business card to Makoto. "Here. Call this number. Explain what's going on and ask for their help. Don't worry, they'll understand." Ren explained before picking up Maruki's call.

" _ Hello Ren-kun!" _ Maruki greeted him.

"Hi Maruki, what is it? I don't mean to be rude, but I'm kinda in a hurry here." Ren said.

_ "Oh well in that case, I won't take much of your time. I just wanted to thank you for your help on my research one last time. Soon, I'll finally be able to put it to good use. I'm sure even you will be able to benefit from it. Also… have you also noticed the red sky?" _ Maruki asked.

"That's kinda why I'm in a hurry. Thanks doc. I gotta go now!" Ren said before hanging up.

Makoto was also currently on a phone call. "Hello? Is this Narukami-kun of the Shadow Operatives? My friend gave me this card and told me to call. We have a shadow related crisis right now…" She explained.

She set her phone to speaker, so that the rest of the team could listen. " _ Yes I am. I assume you mean the red sky and shadows appearing in the real world? I'm sorry, but it's happening all over the country right now. I don't think we'll be able to meet you and help out."  _ Yu spoke over the phone.

"T-that's alright. We'll try and manage. Good luck out there." Makoto said.

_ "Same to you all." _ Yu said before hanging up.

"What are we going to do about all the shadows running amok out here?" Yusuke asked.

"I believe I can handle them." Lavenza spoke up as he opened her registry of all the Persona's Ren had obtained this far. "I'm able to use any Persona he has obtained." Lavenza let out a small giggle. "One of my sisters has actually grown quite fond of using one of her guests Persona's… but that's a story for another time. You all must be going."

Sumire tried to speak up. "Umm… are you sure she can handle it on her own? She seems a little…" Her comment was quickly cut off by Ren, who looked back at her with eyes filled with… fear?

"Trust me. If she's anything like the twins from before. She can handle them." Ren said with an extremely shaky voice.

"Well let's go!" Noir shouted, trying to gather the group's attention.

"Hold up!" Futaba shouted as she was tapping away at her laptop. "Time for round two of the Futaba Canon!" She laughed as the screens around them began to get distorted, before showing the logo of the Phantom Thieves. The crowd in the city soon began noticing what was going on.

_ "What the?" _

_ "What's happening here!?" _

_ "Is that… the Phantom Thieves?" _

Next, the speakers got hijacked as Futaba began to play some music. The guitar riff started, before transitioning into the lyrics.

" _ It's not a game, I'm not a robot AI challenging you…" _

Ren couldn't help but laugh a little before giving a thumbs up to Futaba. "You know, for some reason I always imagined this song playing over our heists." 

"Ah so you're cultured as well." Futaba cheered, though her comment made everyone embarrassed again.

"Anyways… let's go team!" Ren called out as he led the group on. 

They ran up the pathway to the tower, taking out the guards that stood in their way. They soon arrived back in the hall of the Holy Grail. After severing its tendrils, they finally were able to defeat it. Or so they hoped. After a swift moment of feeling triumph. The area around the Grail rose up to the sky, and the oversized cup transformed into Yaldabaoth, the god of control.

The group continued to fight for what seemed like an eternity. The demiurge soon used ginormous beams of light, that almost single handedly wiped out the whole team. It mocked the group, and humanity as a whole. Morgana then stood up and began to tell him off.

"This time we'll really… really… TAKE THE WORLD!"

Ren had managed to call forth Arsène once more. With the support of all the masses watching the battle from down below, he broke the chains surrounding him, causing Arsène to evolve. A new Persona came down from the sky, Satanael. He managed to single-handedly restore all the Thieves stamina, before using it's strongest attack.

"Begone." Ren muttered as he and his Persona fired their weapons upon the God, killing it for good.

_____________________________________

**December 24th, 20XX - Leblanc**

Sae Niijima had just finished her cup of coffee before Sojiro began to speak. "Looks like they managed to defeat that thing… whatever it was."

Sae nodded her head as a small smile appeared on her face. "Seems so. They're finally going to be able to live in peace." She lied to try and not sour the mood. The truth is, she was about to go tell Ren that he needed to turn himself in in order to ensure a conviction for Masayoshi Shido. "I think I'll be leaving for tonight. Thank you Boss."

"Anytime Niijima-san." Sojiro nodded as well before Sae left the store. She took a turn at the corner, before hearing a voice come from behind.

"Long time no see, Niijima-san." They said.

Sae was shocked as she immediately recognized the voice coming from behind her. She turned around and swifty reached into her purse. She put her hand on the gun that she kept as a safety precaution during the investigation. "You…What are you doing here… Akechi?"

"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you or anything. You're about to go tell Amamiya that he needs to turn himself in to convict Shido, am I correct?" He asked with a smug grin, knowing he was right on the money.

"W-what about it?" Sae asked in return.

"Let me stop you right there. There would be no need for him to do so if the culprit themselves took his place, so I hereby turn myself in, and allow you to arrest me." He raised his arms up, acting like he was about to be put in a police car.

"What's your game here?" Sae asked, she was still very suspicious of Akechi, after what he had done.

"No game. I'll accept the punishments for my crimes. Oh but, I do have one favor to ask. Don't mention my involvement to anyone among their group. I'd rather them not know I'm still around." Akechi said.

"And what reason do I have to trust you?" Sae asked with a sour look.

"None." Akechi shrugged. "Unless you do actually want to see him behind bars, that is."

"Fine." Sae snapped as she turned back around. "Keep your hands where I can see them until we get to the station." She said as the pair began to walk towards the Police Station.

_____________________________________

**December 24th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

"Welcome home Sumire! Oh! And Ren-kun is here too! How wonderful!" Ichika cheered as Sumire and Ren entered the house after their  _ very _ long day.

"Well he was invited to spend the night. They're going to have a wonderful day tomorrow." Shinichi said as he stood up and shook Ren's hand by the door.

"By the way… where is Kasumi?" Sumire asked.

"She's at a party with some of her friends from school." Ichika answered. "I doubt she'll be back until you both are asleep."

In truth, Kasumi really wasn't interested in the party. But she wanted an excuse to get away from being in the house where she'd have to see Sumire try and get romantic with Ren.

Their discussion was soon interrupted by a loud beeping noise coming from the oven. "Dinner's ready!" Ichika shouted as she took the chicken out from the oven. "I hope you both are hungry, we've got loads of food tonight."

"Trust me, we're starving." The couple said in perfect sync.

"What a perfect little pair you are." Shinichi laughed causing Sumire to glow red.

The family soon sat down and enjoyed a very nice Christmas Eve dinner together. Ren and Sumire tried to have a chicken eating competition, but Sumire had managed to defeat him tenfold.

"I didn't notice it was getting so late." Shinichi said as he looked at his watch. It was approaching 10 pm. 

"Ooh! You two need to head to bed soon or else Santa won't arrive!" Ichika teased.

"M-mom! We're too old for Santa…" Sumire pouted.

"What's that Sumi? You don't believe in Santa?" Ren teased causing her to grow bright red and give him a little shove.

"Well Sumire, how about you show him upstairs?" Shinichi added.

"C-come on Senpai. I'll show you m-my room." Sumire said quietly as she guided Ren upstairs and led her to her room.

It was extremely clean and was pearly white all over. On a desk to their left, Ren noticed the trophy Sumire had won over the summer, and beside it was a picture of them standing together. It was taken just after they had begun dating.

"These past couple months had gone by so fast huh… it feels like just yesterday that you confessed to me in front of thousands of people." Ren giggled.

"S-Senpai!" Sumire pouted. "You're right… all this time our work with the Phantom Thieves made it all feel like such a blur. But I guess that work is over now, huh?" She pulled out her phone and looked back at the missing space where the Metaverse Navigator used to be.

"I'm sorry we weren't able to get rid of her palace." Ren gave her a light hug. "We can still try and change her heart, in this world." Ren sighed.

"You're right. I just wished we had a little more time with it. But… let's not think about that tonight." She said as she pecked him on the cheek before standing up. She walked over to her small handbag and picked it up.

"S-s-senpai? P-promise you won't make fun of me…" Sumire mumbled.

"Okay fine." Ren sighed with a small grin. "What is it?" He asked.

"W-well… I wanted to g-give you an early p-present tonight and w-well… Remember when y-you said you wanted me to be more s-selfish?" She continued.

"Yes? What did you get?" Ren continued to question her.

"T-these…" Sumire pulled out a small box from her bag. Upon realization of what they were, Ren's face turned a bright enough red to rival his girlfriends.

"D-does that mean you wanna…?" He began. Sumire simply nodded in return. "We don't h-have to if you don't want to-"

"No!" Sumire cut him off. "I-I do… I want it to be with you."

The two got closer and began to kiss once again. Ren and Sumire spent a very intimate night together.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter today. Next time, all fluff, no plot, just Ren and Sumi goodness.


	28. A Date with Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Sumire spend the Holidays together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little extra time to come out. I believe it's the longest chapter yet. I usually aim for around 2.5-3k words with each chapter. But this ended up being over 4k. Thanks for the continued support!

**December 25th, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Sumire awoke with a jump start. She had been practicing waking up early just to prepare for today. She had to make sure she was awake before Ren. She quickly got up and went to take a shower. When she finished, she checked to see if Ren was still asleep. He was, and so Sumire continued to get ready. She changed into some warm casual clothes, decided to wear some contacts today instead of her glasses, and went downstairs to check on her family. Kasumi and Shinichi were still fast asleep, and Ichika was up making some salmon and rice.

"You're up early, dear." Ichika greeted her daughter. "Getting ready for your big day today?" She asked.

Sumire nodded with a smile. "Ren is still asleep so I'm going to make some coffee for us when he wakes up." She said as she worked her way over to the pot. She tried her best to recall one of the many different recipes she had picked up on from her time with Ren at Leblanc.

After around 15 minutes, she had finally finished. She had messed up the first pot, but she wasn't about to give up. So she tried once more and was finally satisfied. She poured it into two mugs and took it upstairs. Once she returned to her room, Ren began to stir awake.

"Ren~ time to get up." Sumire cooed.

"Sumi..?" Ren croaked as he rubbed his eyes. He then sat up and saw Sumire already dressed and holding the two mugs. "Huh? How long was I asleep?" He asked.

"Don't worry." She giggled. "You didn't sleep in. I actually got up early." She answered his question.

"How come?" Ren asked as he yawned and took one of the mugs from his girlfriend. "And did you just call me Ren? No Senpai?" 

Sumire nodded. "That's your first present!" She said as she winked, causing a little pink to appear on Ren's cheeks.

"First?" He asked as he took a sip of his coffee. "This is good! You've improved a lot Sumi."

Sumire's face grew a little red at his compliment. "Y-yep! Remember how I said I just wanted a quiet day in?" She asked. Ren nodded as he continued to drink the coffee she had made him. "I sort of… lied. I have big plans for us today!"

Ren made a very sarcastic sounding gasp. "My Sumi!? A liar!? Perish the thought!" He laughed.

Sumire giggled in return. "You might be  _ the  _ trickster but that doesn't mean I can't pull the wool over you. Anyways, you need to get ready. We've got somewhere we need to go today."

Ren raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Where are you taking me?" He asked.

"You'll just have to see~ Now get dressed! Mom made breakfast so we can eat before we leave." Sumire said.

Ren nodded as he finished the coffee mug. He returned it to Sumire as she left the room and he went to go change. He had packed a pair of clothes just in case, as he knew he would be staying over tonight. He wore his jeans, with white undershirt and black jacket. He also grabbed the small box containing the ring he bought and put it in his pocket. 

After finishing, he walked downstairs to see Sumire sitting at the table with her mother in the kitchen. Upon noticing him, Sumire patted the seat to her right, in order to signal him to come sit beside her. He followed, as Ichika came over and gave them each a small plate of salmon and bowl of rice. They piled it in before taking the dishes back to the kitchen to be washed.

"Are you two leaving now?" Ichika asked as she was still eating her breakfast.

"Mhmm!" Sumire nodded.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "I still don't know where we're even going…" He sighed.

"Believe me, you're going to have a lot of fun today. Bye you two, stay safe today will you?" Ichika asked.

The pair nodded as Sumire grabbed Ren's hand and led him out. They found their way to the station. Sumire led him into a train heading towards Chiba. Ren noticed the location and poked his girlfriend's shoulder with his free hand. "Hey… we're not going where I think we're going, are we?" He asked.

Sumire giggled once again. "You'll just have to see." She said, causing Ren to sigh.

'You're too good Sumi…' Ren thought as the pair sat beside each other on their way to Chiba.

He suddenly felt a call coming from his phone. It was from Ann? Sumire looked in confusion as he answered the phone. "Hey Ann? What's up?" He asked.

_ "YOU GUYS WON'T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" _ She yelled into her phone microphone.

"W-what!?" Ren asked.

_ "IT'S MORGANA! HE CAME BACK! HE SHOWED UP TO MY HOUSE THIS MORNING!"  _ She continued to shout.

"Huh-?" Ren was shocked considering what had happened the day before. After the remnants of Mementos began to disappear in the real world, Morgana said his goodbyes as he disappeared along with them. A huge grin appeared on his face. "Tell him to enjoy the day with you. We'll see him soon."

_ "Got it! Have fun today!" _ Ann cheered before hanging up.

"What was that about Ren?" Sumire asked.

Ren explained what the call was about and Sumire got just as excited as he was. "We'll definitely have to get him a present today!" She declared as the train was about to arrive at their destination.

**December 25th, 20XX - Destinyland Entrance**

Ren still couldn't believe what was happening even by the time they had arrived. "Sumi… you'd really do all this?" Ren asked with his mouth gaping open at the sight of the castle in the distance. They had only been here once before, back on the night of Okumura's confession and assassination, but they didn't have a lot of time to truly enjoy the park. Especially after what had happened during the live conference.

Sumire grabbed his arm and wrapped hers around it. "Yep! You've done so much for me over the last year and I wanted to show you how much it meant. I love you, Ren." She said with an embarrassed smile. 

Ren looked back at her and felt like he had been shot through the heart. 'There's no way I ended up with someone like her…' He thought before deciding to respond. "I love you too, Sumi. I just hope my present can make up for this." He laughed a little.

"I have doubt in my mind!" She answered. "Of course… I never said that this was my only present." She said with a smug grin.

Ren felt his heartbeat increase as she said that. "Well you've already swept me off my feet. I just hope I can do the same. You wanna get going?" He asked. 

Sumire nodded with a large grin as the pair walked up to the ticket booth. They showed the employee their tickets and entered the park. They saw a train pass by with plenty of passengers aboard. It made a large noise that surprised Sumire and made her clutch onto Ren, causing a small chuckle. After passing the station area, they entered a new place. It was a shopping district designed to look like a 20th Century American town.

"Ren. I wanna go get those little hats with the ears that people always wear here!" Sumire cheered.

Ren let out a small smile. "Alright. Let's go look around in some of these shops here. I'm sure they'll have some." He said as he led her to a nearby store filled with a variety of different items. It was all based on the many different movies that the park took inspiration from.

"Ooh! We should get Morgana one of these!" Sumire let out as she picked up a little collar. "He would look adorable don't you think?" Sumire asked as her red eyes looked back at Ren.

He was trying his hardest to contain his laughter. "D-definitely. We should totally get it for him." Ren managed to get out. He knew Morgana would find it degrading, but seeing him with a collar with all the cutesy designs on it was something Ren wanted to see in his lifetime.

"I knew it!" Sumire said as she put the collar to her side. "Ooh! I see the hats over there! Let's go Ren!" She said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the large display. The wall was covered head to toe in hats with different types of ears designed around the characters. Sumire closely examined all the hats before finding one that she seemed to really like.

"I want this one!" Sumire said as she pulled out a pair. They were a light blue and the design of the ears seemed to be made of glass. 

"Heh. Very fitting considering what your initial Persona looked like." Ren commented. "I still can't decide on mine though…"

"I'll look! I'm sure I can find one that suits you." Sumire said as she began to scan over the hats once again.

In truth, Ren said that specifically because he knew she would look and make a decision for him. He didn't really care about the hat, more that he was happy to see how she had grown over the last year. When Ren met her, she couldn't decide on anything for herself. But now, she was doing all these crazy stunts and shows of affection, just to satisfy her own desires. It made Ren feel oddly proud at how much Sumire has changed over the brief time they've known each other.

"Here we go!" Sumire cheered, snapping Ren out of his thoughts. She handed him a pair of ears that we're brown… and furry? "It's The Beast!" Sumire giggled. 

Ren couldn't help but laugh as well. "If it's what'll make you happy, sure." He said as he put on the hat. He then led her over to the register where they bought their hats and Morgana's new collar.

After leaving the store, Sumire began to lead Ren to their first ride. "This one has a huge drop at the end that splashes water all over. Let's go on this one first Ren." She said as the couple entered the line. 

After around 20 minutes of waiting, they got on the ride and were being led up the mountain. Ren was a little weirded out by the animatronic animals singing, but calmed down as he looked over at Sumire, who had a face that seemed to give off the "I'm having the time of my life" kind of look. They eventually saw the light of day, and knew that the drop was approaching. They began to soar down and they both screamed at the top of their lungs. Ren noticed that a huge blast of water was coming their way, and tried to block it from splashing on Sumire. He succeeded, but at a cost as now his shirt was soaked.

Sumire tried to check up on him once they got off the ride. "Are you okay Ren? Thank you for taking the hit for me back there." She said before giving him a side hug and peck on the cheek.

"It was nothing…" He sighed. "Why don't we go on a roller coaster. An outdoor one might get a lot of wind to help dry me off." He suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Sumire said with excitement. "There's one not too far from here. It looks like a train ride around a mountain." She explained before leading the way.

They arrived once again to find another line. This ride however, wasn't as popular and they managed to get on in only around 10 minutes. It was a much calmer ride, so there wasn't as much screaming involved. Ren's shirt also ended up mostly drying as well. After getting off the ride, the two decided to stroll around the park for a while.

They met and took photos with plenty of the mascots, had some oddly expensive food, and picked up plenty of gifts for the others while they were gone. 

For Ryuji, Ren picked out another sleeveless shirt, considering he seemed to enjoy wearing them during the summer. For Yusuke, they found an animation cell that they thought he would be a big fan of. Sumire saw a stand selling gourmet cream puffs and she knew Ann would enjoy them. She also found a collection of pens that she knew Makoto would love. Ren managed to spot a collectable figure for Futaba to put on her shelf. Then they both settled on a teacup for Haru.

"What do you think we should get for Kasumi?" Sumire asked.

"Hmm." Ren pondered for a moment as he continued to look around the store. "Hey what about that! It looks perfect." He said as he pointed towards an item near the back of the shop.

It was a long ribbon decorated in rose patterns. "It looks gorgeous…" Sumire said as she picked it up. "Let's get it. I'm sure she'll love it!" She cheered as Ren nodded and they went to check out with all the things they had grabbed.

As they left, they saw that the roads in the center of the area were being cleaned out.

"Looks like a parade is starting soon. Let's watch!" Sumire said excitedly.

A new thought crossed Ren's mind. 'There's all those videos of couples receiving rings right before the parade starts… I wonder…' He suddenly grabbed Sumire's hand and pulled her to the center of the road.

"Wha- Senp- Ren! What are you doing!?" She said as she got flustered with all the eyes on them.

"Listen, this isn't a proposal... yet. But I just wanted to say… Merry Christmas Sumire. I love you." Ren said as he pulled out the box and opened it up to reveal the ring.

"Ren…" Sumire covered her face and tears began to fall.

"Sumi? Are you okay? I didn't mean for you to-" he was cut off by Sumire pressing her lips against his. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity. They even heard some other people clapping behind them. Soon, an employee came by and tried to gesture for them to move out of the way.

They complied, as Sumire took the ring and put it on her finger. She then leaned on Ren's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "You've done so much more than blown me away today…" She said.

They stood like that for some time as they watched the parade pass by. Sumire was constantly giggled at all the different mascots walking by while Ren just kept his gaze on her. After a while, the parade ended and they decided to head home. Sumire needed to return and grab her stuff to stay over at Leblanc so they went their separate ways for just a little bit.

**December 25th, 20XX - Leblanc**

As Ren entered, the store was completely empty. No Sojiro or Futaba in sight. He looked over to the counter and saw that a note was left.

_ Hey kid, I know you're bringing your lady here for the night so I decided to close up early. You can make it up to me by helping clean up the store tomorrow. Why don't you invite all your friends here for new years as well? Well, see you tomorrow  _

_ -Sojiro _

Ren smiled as he finished reading the note. 'A new year's party doesn't sound half bad.' He thought. Ren soon went upstairs and began to get ready. He cleaned up his room and hid the presents that he bought. He was just gonna have to give them out soon to everyone. Soon, the door chimed as a voice called from down below. "Ren! I'm here!" Called Sumire.

Ren rushed downstairs to greet her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's only been around an hour and I already found myself missing you." He smirked.

Sumire was obviously embarrassed by his comment, but was happy to hear it. "Well, it's about time I get started!" She declared.

"Huh?" Ren sounded. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Tonight, I'm making dinner! I've been practicing for a while and I want to show you what I can do." Sumire said with a determined look.

Ren chuckled. "Go on ahead then. I'll be the judge."

Sumire nodded as she began to get to work. She was making a type of curry her mom had shown her. She knew it probably couldn't match anything made by Sojiro or Ren, but she was definitely willing to try. After a while, it was ready. She poured it into a plate with some rice on the side and planted it in front of Ren. "Here you go!" She said.

Ren took his spoon and tried a bite. Sumire was waiting anxiously for his opinion as he continued to taste the first bit. When he swallowed, Sumire was about to ask for his take, before getting cut off by Ren beginning to scarf it down. He finished the entire plate in only around 3 minutes. "Seconds?" He asked.

Sumire's face grew into a bright smile as she took the plate and filled it up again. She also made a plate for herself and began to eat with him. The pair ended up finishing the entire pot together. With a full stomach, they cleaned up the dishes and went back upstairs.

"Today was wonderful, Sumi. I never imagined you would do all this for me." Ren said with a smile.

"Of course I would!" She pouted. "You've done so much for me over the last year… To be honest, you deserve more."

Ren giggled a little. "If anybody deserves more, it's you. You've grown so much over the last year. I remember when you could barely pick out your own clothes. Now? You lied to your boyfriend to set up a huge romantic gesture. I love you Sumire, now and forever." 

"Ren…" She sighed. "I love you too. That's why I have one more gift for you." She said as she took out a small box. Ren was curious as he took it and began to open it.

"Oh wow..." Ren exclaimed. "Sumi it's… wonderful." Ren said as he examined the necklace.

Sumire smiled as she nodded. "Now look inside." She gestured.

Ren noticed the little door on the end of the necklace, and inside was the photo of the two of them during the fancy party they had attended over their summer vacation. It was the first date they had ever been on. "Sumi… I-" He couldn't find the words to describe how happy he was. Sumire decided to answer for him by giving him a kiss on the lips.

"I love you Ren, now and forever…" She whispered. She picked up the necklace and placed it around his neck as the two of them had a very romantic evening together.

**December 31st, 20XX - Leblanc**

Everyone had just arrived for the New Year's Party that Ren had coordinated. All of his fellow thieves, along with Sae, Sojiro, and Kasumi had all come. Sae decided to begin speaking to them all.

"I wanted to tell you all that thanks to a certain person's testimony, the process of convicting Shido is going smoothly." She announced.

"Woo Hoo!" Ryuji shouted and he wrapped his arms around Ren's neck and began to violently shake him in excitement.

"C-calm down Ryuji!" Ren said as he tried to shake his best friend off. He then looked over to see Morgana. "Good to have you back, partner." He said with a smile.

"I couldn't just leave you, you know. You'd be lost without me." Morgana said with an attempt at a smirk.

Kasumi decided to ask Sae something. "Who was the person who gave the testimony?" She asked.

Sae felt bad not telling them the answer, but she did make a deal. "I-I'm not at liberty to tell. I'm sorry."

The room's awkward silence was cut off by Sumire coming downstairs with all the gifts they bought at Destinyland. Ren then took the first one out and handed it to Ryuji.

"Aww dude this is sweet!" He yelled as he took out the shirt and looked over it. "Come summer, I'll be rockin' this one all the time!"

Ren and Sumire smiled as they handed the next one to Makoto. Sumire began, "Since you're going away to college soon Makoto-senpai I thought you could use some of these."

Makoto smiled as she opened it up to reveal the pens. "Thank you Sumire-chan. I'll be using these all the time."

Next, Sumire walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a small bag and handed it to Ann. "I know from our time in Shibuya that cream puffs are one of your favorites so…"

"Thanks a bunch Sumire! I hope you and Ren had a fantastic date!" She cheered before popping one into her mouth.

Ren then took out the slightly larger gift and handed it to Yusuke. "I had a feeling you'd be a fan of this one Yusuke." He said as Yusuke began to neatly pull apart the wrapping paper.

"How Marvelous!" Yusuke said excitedly as he closely examined the cell. "You can see the animator's work in full display! I must thank you Ren!"

Ren and Sumire giggled a little before taking out Futaba's gift. "And here you go Futaba!" He said as he handed it over.

Futaba quickly tore through the wrapping paper, much to Yusuke's dismay. "Awesome! I've been thinking of starting a collection of these! Thanks Ren and Sumire!" She cheered.

Sumire then carefully took out Haru's gift and handed it over. "I know how you have a bunch of these, but I thought you would enjoy it." Ren added.

"This is gorgeous Sumire-chan! Thank you and Ren-kun for picking this out for me." She said with a warm smile as she pretended to drink out of the teacup.

Ren then picked up Kasumi's gift. "This had you written all over it, Kasumi. Merry Christmas." He said as he handed her their gift.

Kasumi opened it and saw the ribbon. The rose designs ran all across it. Her mouth was gaping open before letting out a "Thank you, Ren." As she stood up and gave him a huge hug. They stood there for a minute or two before Sumire cleared her throat as a signal that it was time to let go. Kasumi glared back at her sister before sitting back down. 

"Y-you know, Sumire was the one who actually decided on it." Ren said to try and clear the tension.

"Oh well, thanks Sumire." Kasumi said as he continued to happily examine the ribbon.

Ren saw Morgana watching the TV over in the corner, before grabbing his gift and bringing it to him. "Don't think we forgot about you either." He said before pulling out the yellow collar. Ren was expecting an angry fit, but was just met with a "Oh! Thank you." From Morgana.

"Huh? That's it? No angry "I'm not a cat!" rage?' Ren asked.

"Well, it would be nice if I was human. But I accept who I am now." Morgana said. "Thanks for the gift, Ren and Sumire."

Ren smiled as he put it on Morgana's neck. The group then continued to have a wonderful night together. Sojiro made a very fancy dinner, of which Sumire and Kasumi ate most of. They all shared snacks and sweets as they discussed all their stories from over the year. Soon everyone began to head home for the night. Most had left, leaving only Ren, Morgana, Sumire, and Kasumi.

"Well it's about time for us to get going, Ren." Sumire said.

'Ren? She's calling him Ren now?' Kasumi thought. 'She was practicing in the bathroom, but I didn't think she'd be able to do it at this point…'

"Ok then. We're still going to the shrine tomorrow morning right?" Ren asked.

"Mhmm!" Sumire cheered. "See you tomorrow. Love you Ren." She pecked him on the cheek as her and Kasumi left the store.

Kasumi's mind raced as she was walking back with Sumire beside her. 'Even now… why do I still feel this way… I'm THE Kasumi Yoshizawa. I'm supposed to win… But how did I lose at this… Hell, I'd even accept a tie at this point! So why…'

Back at Leblanc, Ren was getting ready for bed. It felt a little more normal now that the extra weight of Morgana had returned.

"Happy to have you back, brother." Ren said before closing his eyes. "Let's make this year a great one."

"Yeah…" Morgana added. "I have a feeling this is gonna be a good year."

The pair then fell into a deep sleep.

**January 1st, 20XX - Leblanc**

Ren awoke with a large headache. "Ack!" He sounded as he sat up. 'That dream last night… what the hell was that about? I was in school and…' His thoughts were cut off by a buzz from his phone. It was Sumire. Ren thought she was asking about when to meet up today for their trip to the shrine. Lo and behold, he was right. 

Sumire: Hey Ren! Where are we meeting up today? I thought we should meet somewhere before… but the shrine works too!

Ren smiled before noticing something odd. She had sent it in a group chat with him and Kasumi. 'Probably just a mistake.' He thought before switching to open his individual text with her.

Ren: Did you mean to send that to just me? You sent it in a group chat with Kasumi as well…

Sumire: No? Why wouldn't I send it in a chat with her?

'What?' Ren thought. He was very confused. Sumire tended to try and avoid awkward situations, so this was something that seemed odd to him. Suddenly, he got another text from the group chat.

Kasumi: What's this? I thought we agreed you wouldn't play favorites. >:(

Ren was very confused by what was happening.

Ren: Kasumi? What do you mean "Agreed?"

Kasumi : Don't play dumb! You remember what we agreed to back at the school festival together!

Sumire: Yeah Ren. Don't be so mean! It was selfish to try and keep you to myself when Kasumi felt the same way I did, so we agreed to share! That way nobody feels hurt!

Ren's phone fell out of his hand as he read the last text he received. "W-what the hell… is going on?"


	29. A Rude Awakening - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren has a very uncomfortable New Year's Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this chapter being a little on the shorter side. Last one was fairly long for how I typically write and I wanted a little slow down for the time being. This is also part 1 of a 2 part chapter(s). I felt it was more of a Part 1, Part 2 scenario because of what happens in this and the next chapter, so please look forward to it!

**January 1st, 20XX - Leblanc**

"Hey Ren? You awake? If you are, come on down. I need your help running the store for a bit." Ren heard Sojiro call from downstairs.

Ren was still feeling extremely sick. 'Why? What the hell is happening? This is just a joke right? Or maybe a dream?' He thought. He got up and noticed someone was missing.

"Morgana?" Ren asked. He got no response. 'Maybe he just went out for a while…' Ren wondered.

He then went over to grab his change of clothes and got ready to help out Sojiro. He didn't notice anything odd for a while, but every now and then he felt a small pain in his head. Suddenly, the bells on the doors to the store rang as Futaba walked in. Ren waved as he continued working, while Sojiro paused to talk with his daughter. After a moment of some chatter, an elderly couple decided to chime in.

"You look absolutely lovely today Futaba-chan!" The older woman complimented.

"Aw, thanks!" Futaba replied.

Ren smiled a little. 'Seems she really is getting used to talking with others besides us.' He hummed as he continued cleaning the dishes before Futaba continued.

"I actually picked it out with my Mom. We're going to visit the shrine later!" Futaba cheered.

Suddenly, the plate in Ren's hand fell and crashed onto the ground, causing it to shatter into pieces. 'What… did she just say? Wakaba isn't here… Futaba wouldn't joke about this…'

The sound of the plate shattering alerted everyone in Leblanc to look over at Ren. "I-I'm sorry Sojiro. I'll pay for it." Ren looked at his guardian with an apologetic expression.

"Relax kid. With all the money from the business that we've been raking in recently, we can buy as many of those as we need." Sojiro chuckled a little as he looked back to Futaba. "We can always pester Wakaba for some of her leftover grant money too eh?"

Sojiro's joke made Ren freeze in place once more. 'Something is seriously wrong here. Futaba and Sojiro would never joke about Wakaba like that… And what happened this morning with Sumire and Kasumi…'

Another voice had cut through Ren's thoughts. "Hey now, you know full well Wakaba won't give you anything for something like that. Isn't that right, Ren?" They said.

Ren looked up to see someone he didn't recognize at all. It appeared to be another boy around his age. He had dark blue hair and eyes. Along with a gold chain necklace around his neck. "I-I'm sorry, do I know you?" Ren asked.

The man seemed to act hurt in a sarcastic manner. "What a cruel joke! I hope you don't stick to it. I'll definitely have to come up with something to get back at you with…" He trailed off.

Before Ren could answer, he felt a buzz in his pocket and took out his phone to read it. It was another text in the group chat with Sumire and Kasumi.

Sumire: So... we kinda left a little early and we're here at the station. We'll head over to the shrine now and you can join us in a bit. Sound good?

Ren: Yeah sure. I'll leave in a minute.

He still felt unsure about what was going on. Dream or not however, Ren definitely couldn't leave Sumire or Kasumi hanging. He did make a promise. He told Sojiro about his plans and Ren left for the time being.

**January 1st, 20XX - Shrine**

As Ren arrived at the shrine he heard the chatter of the two girls from across the path.

"Ren!" Kasumi called out as she noticed him.

"Senpai!" Sumire cheered as she waved.

'Senpai… huh?' Ren thought as he approached the two of them.

"Well… how do we look?" Kasumi asked as she showed off her yellow kimono.

"I wanna know too!" Sumire asked as she adjusted the blue kimono she was wearing.

"You look good…" Ren answered quietly. He was still feeling really sick to his stomach. He hoped that this was just a dream he was going to wake up from, but with each passing minute, that felt more and more unlikely.

"Aww come on Ren. You can do better than that." Kasumi whined jokingly. She then ran up to his side and grabbed his hand. Sumire followed and grabbed his other arm as they began to lead the way to the shrine.

Ren was completely embarrassed by what was happening… but as a teenage boy… he still enjoyed it, if only a little bit. As they walked, the twins began to have a discussion.

"This whole last year has been so strange." Sumire giggled. "Back in March, I felt like my whole world was closing in on me." She looked up at Ren, causing some red to appear in his face. Her eyes were still the same shade of deep red that he grew to love. "But then you swooped in. You saved my life and showed me a part of myself that I didn't even know I had. You really are my Prince Charming!" She giggled once again.

Her bright smile put Ren at ease, if only a little bit. This whole thing was weird. But he knew that deep down, this was still his Sumire. The one he fell in love with.

"Mhmm. Definitely!" Came from Kasumi. Ren turned his head to face her as it seemed it was now her turn to reminisce. "I couldn't help but see how brave you were after saving Sumire's life. It immediately told me you were someone we could rely upon." Kasumi nodded as she continued. "I remember feeling really upset after she confessed to you after that competition during the summer. I was pretty jealous as at that point, I was pretty much head over heels for you Ren!"

Her openness on the subject made Ren's face grow a bright red. He was definitely uncomfortable, but he just decided to remain silent as she continued.

"But even after you two started dating, you were still super supportive of me! I was worried that you would stop paying me any attention, but it seems that I was just being dramatic. I was so scared after revealing my feelings during the school festival… but you were both supportive of me! This sharing deal might be a bit awkward… but it makes me so happy that we're able to do this!" Kasumi cheered.

Ren still felt awful. The pit in his stomach continued to grow. He knew this wasn't right. But how come they didn't see it? He was still wondering if they were in some kind of dream.

The entire area seemed empty as the trio approached the shrine and began to make their wishes.

'I wish I wake up from this…' Ren thought as he finished his wish. He may have been wasting his wish, but he couldn't get his mind off of it.

As they finished, the trio turned around to see another group approaching them. It was the rest of the Phantom Thieves. It seemed as if they were all visiting the shrine together.

"Oh hey man!" Ryuji called out as he saw Ren.

"I didn't expect to see you all here." Makoto smiled as the two groups formed together.

"Oh. We're just here on our New Year's date with Senpai." Sumire said, causing a mixture of emotions to form inside Ren.

"Dude…" Ryuji sighed. "I can't even get one girl and you got two of 'em? You gotta teach me your secrets."

"Aww don't sweat it Ryuji. I'm sure you'll find a girl who can fix you one day." Ann teased.

"Not helping…" He mumbled.

Over on the left, Yusuke was framing a shot like always. "Such beauty. It truly shows off the feeling of a New Year's beginning in Japan!"

"Don't overwork yourself Inari." Futaba chimed in. "We're on break after all."

Haru giggled. "That's right! We should spend our next few days before School having as much fun as possible."

"Ooh!" Ryuji shouted. "How about we have a new year's party! We can do it right now! We could go get some ramen or some meat and…" He trailed off.

"No dice!" Futaba exclaimed. "I'm coming back here with my mom in a bit!"

Ren was still shocked at her words. He looked around to see if anyone else noticed how she wasn't making any sense… but they didn't seem to react at all.

"I'm afraid I'll be busy as well…" Haru sighed. "I'll be spending the day with my father."

'Okay seriously… if this is some kind of joke it isn't funny. Kunikazu Okumura was killed.' Ren continued thinking as the pit in his stomach increased in size.

"Right. And I'll be with my family for the day." Makoto said.

'Family? Wouldn't she just say Sae?' Ren thought. 'How is nobody noticing this?'

"I think I'm gonna go see what Shiho is doing." Ann told them. That one didn't seem as odd to Ren. He was still certain that she was in the recovery process however…

"Oh well. I guess I'll go hit up the track team guys then." Ryuji sighed as the group dispersed once again.

Only Ren, Kasumi, and Sumire were left as everyone else had gone home.

"Oh well… it stinks we couldn't have that party. But at least we can continue our date, Senpai." Sumire looked back at Ren with a smile. "What do you wanna do now?" She asked.

Ren was still very conflicted. He didn't know what was going on, or why it was happening. It felt so real, and yet very wrong. And if he was asleep, he couldn't tell if it was a dream, or a nightmare.

Kasumi decided to step in. She gave a teasing look to Ren and began. "You know… we could always go back to our place and-"

"Sorry. I'm feeling really sick today." Ren decided to cut her off before he heard anything he didn't want to. "Maybe we can continue this another time? I think I'm gonna head back to Leblanc for today."

"O-oh okay. I guess we can just ask our dad to pick us up then." Kasumi said with a confused expression.

"I'm sorry Senpai…" Sumire seemed a little upset. "We still had fun today. I hope you feel better soon so we can go out again."

"Y-yeah…" Ren muttered. "Get home safe." He said before walking off to return home.

**January 1st, 20XX - Leblanc**

As soon as Ren arrived back at the cafe, he went upstairs and opened up his laptop. He opened up his browser and began a search.

"Kunikazu Okumura…" He whispered.

He hit enter and his jaw dropped at what the results of his search were.  _ "How the Okumura Family Took the World by Storm" _ Was one article.  _ "Your New Favorite Coffee Shop: The Okumura Heiress's New Project"  _ Was another.

'It seems that Haru's dream has come true…' Ren thought as he continued to look through the results. There was nothing about him being corrupt or mistreating his employees. He especially noticed the lack of any information about his… death.

Determined, Ren began another search. "Wakaba Isshiki" He entered. Once again, nothing about a death. Only article after article praising her for her achievements and recent awards.

'Seriously… what the hell? Akechi… killed Wakaba! How can she still be around!?' He pondered as the headache he felt increased in size. 'There's still one more thing I need to look up.' Ren thought as he began to type out his next search.

"The Phantom Thieves." He said out loud. He noticed that nobody said a word about their time together as the team. He just wanted to make sure he knew what the truth was.

His eyes widened as he saw the first result. "Yes!" He clapped as he saw the first article.  _ "Group Known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts Claim to have Stolen Masayoshi Shido's heart. They sent out a calling card a few days before the election. On the day of, Shido confessed to numerous crimes, including but not limited to: Bribary, Fraud, Murder…" _ The list went on and on.

Ren sighed with some relief knowing that their time as the Phantom Thieves wasn't completely erased. But as he kept looking, he noticed something odd. It was  _ all _ about Shido. No mention of any of their other targets. He supposed it made sense if Okumura was still around that something was up when it came to them targeting him. But no mention of Kamoshida, Madarame, or Kaneshiro. He supposed it made sense that there weren't any reports of them stealing Futaba's heart. If Wakaba was still alive, then maybe they never even targeted Futaba in the first place.

Once he had finished his research, he decided to try one more thing. He pulled out his phone and opened his contacts. As he opened Sumire's, he stared at it for a moment. He felt some hesitation, before deciding to press call.

* _ Ring _ * * _ Ring _ *

_ "Hello Senpai! How are you feeling?" _ Sumire asked as she answered the phone.

Despite how long she called him that, hearing Senpai come out of her mouth kind of hurt now.

"I-I'm doing alright… could I talk to you for a sec?" He asked.

" _ Of course! Should I go get Kasumi as well-" _

"No. Actually I kinda just wanted to talk to you for a moment." Ren cut her off.

_ "A-alright then."  _ She stuttered for a moment.  _ "What do you wanna talk about?" _

"Do you… remember our time as the Phantom Thieves?" He began with that question.

_ "Oh of course! We got revenge for you and stole Shido's heart." _ She answered

"And that's… all we did as the Phantom Thieves?" He kept pressing.

_ "I think so… wasn't it?" _ Sumire asked.

"You sure you don't remember any other palaces?" Ren asked. He felt a little bad, but he had to keep going.

_ "I remember… we got our Persona's in the… castle? Wait… is that right? Senpai my head is starting to hurt a little…."  _ She whined.

Ren felt he was close to making a breakthrough. He just had to keep going. 'Only a little further…'

"Isn't there still someone's heart we need to change?" He asked.

_ "I don't think so… wait! Yes! I think… I feel like it's at the tip of my tongue but I just can't seem to recall what it was…"  _ Sumire said.

'This is it!' Ren thought as he asked one last question.

"Sumire. Who did I promise to keep my eyes on? Exclusively? Now and forever." Ren asked.

_ "You promised…" _ Sumire's eyes widened at a sudden realization. She felt as if the whole world cracked around her as the headache she was feeling disappeared.  _ "Me! You promised me you would keep your eyes on me and me alone! What was I thinking earlier? That date with Kasumi too!? I love her but you're mine and mine alone, Ren!" _

Ren felt the biggest smile he felt in a long time appear on his face. She was being selfish again. But it's exactly what he wanted to hear.

"It's good to have you back Sumi…" He said.


	30. A Rude Awakening - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren continues to try and figure out what is happening to reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before this chapter begins, I do have some unfortunate news. Due to having classes start up soon, the consistency of uploads to this fic will certainly take a hit. I don't know an exact estimation of how much time I'll have to continue working on it will be, but I can say this. At the VERY minimum, I will try and release at least one new chapter a week. If that does end up being the case, chapters could become longer as a result. But I'm still unsure of anything at the moment. Once again, very sorry but it's out of my control.

**January 1st, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

Kasumi had just gotten out of the shower and was humming as she prepared for bed. She took out her phone and began to look through her photo album. She was beaming with delight as she looked at the photo that they had taken outside of the shrine earlier that day.

'Today was wonderful…' Kasumi thought. 'I can't wait for the next date we go on!' She giggled to herself.

Suddenly, she felt a shock run through her mind.

"Urgh!" Kasumi sounded as she grabbed on to her head.

'Wait… what was I thinking about? A date… with Ren? That's…'

She suddenly felt a shock of pain that felt like reality itself had cracked around her.

'Oh… that's right.  _ She's _ dating him… What the hell happened earlier then?' She continued thinking. The pit in her stomach returned as she couldn't stop thinking about the awkwardness of what happened earlier. Eventually, she tired out and fell asleep.

**January 2nd, 20XX - Leblanc**

Ren had crashed almost immediately after ending his call with Sumire last night. He was still in his clothes from the day before as he slept. "...Uh…?' Ren sounded as he began to stir awake. He felt some immense pressure on top of him. 'Morgana..?' He thought. 'No… Morgana weighs way less than this…' 

He opened his eyes to see another boy laying next to him. The same one from yesterday.

"AHH!" Ren screamed as he jolted out of the bed. His sound seemed to wake up the other boy.

"...What's up Ren?" They asked as they rubbed their eyes.

"Who the hell are you!?" Ren barked.

The boy seemed confused by Ren's question. "Still keeping up that bit from yesterday huh? It's not that funny you know."

Before Ren could continue interrogating him, a voice rang from downstairs. It seemed to belong to an older woman. "Boys! Breakfast is ready! Come get it while it's hot!" She yelled.

'Don't tell me…' Ren whined in his head as he walked downstairs.

As he walked downstairs he nearly froze once again after seeing who was sitting at the table. It was Wakaba Isshiki. Futaba and Sojiro did mention her yesterday, but to actually see her in the flesh was something else entirely…

"Hey Ren! Come sit down and get some grub!" Futaba cheered as she waved over to him.

"Ooh! Don't mind if I do!" Came a voice from behind him. It was the boy from upstairs.

"Oh hello Mona! How are you doing this morning?" Wakaba asked.

"M-m-mona?" Ren mumbled. He eyed the boy once again.

"Of course it's me? You and your dumb jokes Ren I swear." Morgana said as he sat down beside Sojiro in the booth. 

"And what about you Ren?" Wakaba asked.

"W-wakaba Isshiki?" Ren asked in return.

"What are you talking about? Oh I get it. You're pulling the same joke on me you're pulling on Mona." She laughed a little at Ren's question.

"I wouldn't recommend teasing Wakaba." Sojiro began. "She'll just find some insane way to get back at you for it. Oh and here's your breakfast." He said as he handed Ren a plate.

Ren took a seat at the counter and began to think things over. 'That guy is Morgana!? This is wrong on so many levels… What is even going on anymore? Wakaba too? I guess it's safe to assume Okumura and Makoto's father are alive as well… I need to meet up with Sumire and talk about what's going on.'

Just as he finished his plate, the bells on the door chimed, signifying a new patron. Sojiro stood up and began to speak. "I'm sorry we're still not open yet. Do you think you could wait another hour or-" He cut himself off. "Oh it's you! You're here for him right?"

Sojiro's words alerted Ren and grabbed his attention. He looked over to the door to see none other than Kasumi standing at the entrance.

"Yes… I'm not here for coffee or anything. I just wanted to talk with him for a while." Kasumi answered.

'Kasumi? Is she still under the influence of whatever's causing this?' Ren thought as he stood up.

"Are you sure you wanna talk here?" Wakaba asked. "It's pretty noisy with the four of us."

"I-I suppose you're right." Kasumi said as she nodded. "If you aren't busy would you mind coming with me for a while Ren?" She asked.

"Y-yeah sure." He said as he placed his plate in the sink.

"Have fun you two!" Wakaba said as she waved him off. Futaba and Morgana were too caught up in their breakfast to say goodbye.

Ren walked over to Kasumi and the pair began to walk towards the station.

"So where are we going?" Ren decided to ask to break the awkward silence.

"I-I'm not sure… I guess there's this place I go to in Odaiba whenever I have a lot on my mind." Kasumi answered.

'A lot on your mind huh…' Ren thought as the pair entered the train.

As they were riding, Kasumi felt the obvious tension between the two and wanted to try something to break the awkwardness.

"S-So how was your New Year's? I understand we took a lot of your time yesterday so you may not have been able to see everyone you wanted too… I'm really sorry. I for some reason didn't realize it. But that "date" yesterday was super awkward." She said.

"Oh it's fine. I just still need to make some calls wishing a Happy New Year's to some people at school like Ms. Kawakami and Dr. Maruki… although I guess he doesn't work there anymore." Ren answered.

"I see. I only visited him maybe once or twice throughout the year. But I guess I saw you go in there pretty often." Kasumi said with some curiosity.

Ren laughed a little and rubbed his neck. "Yeah I guess I did. He apparently found me so interesting that he asked me to help with his research."

The two had some more small talk before the train finally arrived in Odaiba.

"So where is this place you like to go?" Ren asked.

"It's this construction site. They're building a stadium there. I always hoped maybe I'd get to compete in it one day." Kasumi answered.

Ren suddenly remembered something. During his many conversations with Maruki, he mentioned how they cancelled a research lab that was being constructed in Odaiba. He was looking forward to it as it was going to assist in his research. But in the end, it was just replaced with another stadium.

As they continued to walk, Kasumi eventually stopped in her tracks as she looked up. Ren looked at her and noticed her frightened expression before seeing what was happening for himself. In place of the construction, stood a giant tower. It was covered in yellow lights and seemed to have something in the shape of a globe at the top. It had a large scope looking over the area above it.

"W-what is that thing!?" Kasumi shrieked.

"I-Is that not supposed to be there?" Ren asked.

"No! They were supposed to be building a stadium here! That doesn't look like a stadium!" She continued to yell.

"Well obviously! With the scope up there it kinda looks like the research lab they were planning before." Ren answered.

As they approached the gate, Ren felt an all too familiar feeling. "It's a palace…" He whispered. 'How!? It's in the real world? Wait… is this the real world? Everything has been messed up for the last couple days. Could this place be connected?'

"Ren…" Kasumi began. "Do you know something?" She asked.

Suddenly, another voice came from… Kasumi's pocket.

_ "Keywords complete. Beginning Navigation…" _

"Wha-" Before Ren could finish, the entire world around them began to shift. It was now nighttime in Odaiba and the palace remained.

**January 2nd, 20XX - ??? Palace**

"Ren!? What's going on? And why do you look like that?" Kasumi asked as she pointed to him.

Ren looked down and noticed he was in his Thief attire. "It isn't safe here. You need to go." He quickly answered as he turned around. He nudged her to follow him and he began to walk back. However, he was stopped in his tracks by Kasumi who stood there holding onto his sleeve.

"If this is connected to your Phantom Thieves work. Let me help." She then took out her phone. "This app spoke just before we came here. It's what let us in correct? That means I'm involved now. I don't wanna leave you alone."

Ren thought about what she said. He really didn't want to get her involved, but if she had the app. She'd be in more danger going alone than coming with him. "Fine. But we do need to leave for a minute." He took out his phone and pressed the button to exit. Taking him and Kasumi back outside to the real world. He then opened his phone app and made a call.

"Yeah could you come to Odaiba? See you in a bit." He said before hanging up.

"Who did you call Ren?" Kasumi asked.

"The only other person who seems to know what's going on. Sumire." He answered.

After a couple minutes Sumire arrived and gave Ren a peck on the cheek. "Hello Ren. What did you-" She interrupted herself by looking up at the palace and then down to see Kasumi. "What's going on?" She said with a worried expression.

"Long story short, Kasumi got the Nav and that's a palace. I didn't want to go alone and it seems everyone else is still having weird delusions. You're the only one I could ask." He answered.

"Well I am glad that you're relying on me…" She said as her face grew a deep red. "But what about Kasumi?"

"I'm coming too." She said straight out.

"What!? Ren I don't know how I feel about taking her with us." She began before Ren tried to calm her down.

"It's better than the alternative. She has the app so if we don't take her with us, she could just go in on her own." He said.

"I guess that's right… Well let's go." Sumire said as Ren took out his phone.

He looked in the history tab and noticed that the ruler's name had been removed from the log. "What the?" He said before tapping on it. The world shifted once again as the trio found themselves in the Metaverse.

Kasumi was staring at her sister in her new attire as Sumire's face grew a brighter and brighter red with each passing second. "I-If you have something you want to say, just say it!" She blurted out.

"It looks good." Is all Kasumi added. "Kinda similar to Ren's don't you think?" 

"I suppose so…" Sumire mumbled. "Anyways let's go. Lead the way Joker!"

Kasumi's face scrunched as she seemed confused. "Joker?"

Ren decided to answer her question. "We use codenames in the palaces. I'm Joker, and she's Violet." He pointed back at Sumire.

"I see…" Kasumi muttered.

Ren then led the way to the entrance of the palace. It was a fairly large elevator that led all the way up to what looked like a meeting room. There were boards lined up all around them with facts and information. As they walked through the area, Joker and Violet noticed a strange lack of shadows.

"Is this what it's normally like for you?" Kasumi decided to ask.

"Not really…" Sumire answered. "Normally we have to fight these things called shadows, but there doesn't seem to be any here…" 

Joker eventually found a door that led to a new area. All around them were cognitive beings dressed in white. They were all smiling and chatting as they walked around the area.

"There are people in here!?" Kasumi blurted out.

"Not exactly…" Ren answered. "They're cognitive. They look and sound real, but they're really just a figment of the ruler's cognition."

"I kind of get it… but you don't know who the ruler here is do you?" Kasumi asked another question.

Ren shook his head. "The name was blocked on the Nav. We've never seen that before. We'll need to keep snooping around in here for a little while to find out." 

Just then, a puff of smoke appeared before them, and a shadow wearing a white lab coat appeared. Joker and Violet jumped in front of Kasumi and grabbed hold on to their weapons before noticing the shadow was not trying to attack them.

"We've been expecting you." It spoke. "Yoshizawa-san." It looked past the two in front of it. "Your meeting is scheduled for right now. Please proceed to the main hall. You may bring your guests with you, but I do not recommend it."

"What do you mean-" Ren barked before the shadow disappeared.

"I have a meeting here?" Kasumi asked.

"Joker what do we do? Do we let her go?" Sumire asked.

Ren nodded as he began to speak. "It might be our best shot at seeing who the ruler here is. We're definitely coming though."

"Right…" Kasumi sighed. "It pointed at that door right?" She said pointing towards the door to the left. "Let's go."

The trio began to make their way to the hall. It was a large octagon surrounded by people in seats watching presentations, yet oddly it was silent. The three of them noticed a singular figure standing in the center of the area. As they approached, the figure turned around the reveal itself.

"Maruki!?" Ren asked. "What are you doing here?" 

"I'm really sorry Ren-kun. I didn't want you to find out this way. But yes, I am indeed the "ruler of this palace" as you call it." Maruki answered. He appeared different from before. He wasn't a shadow as he was missing the trademark yellow eyes. But he was wearing a complete white suit and slicked back hair.

"Dr. Maruki? What's going on here?" Sumire asked.

Maruki began. "It seems that I was granted the power to alter reality. I created this world so that everyone can finally live in peace. Do you like it? All your friends are finally living out their lives as they wished them to be! Ren-kun this is everything our research had built towards. You and me, we created the ideal reality!"

Ren took a step back. "T-this isn't reality. Put it back." He answered simply.

"What? I can't do that! You see how everyone is living their ideal lives. They wished for that! Now I have the power to make them come true!" He then turned to Sumire and Kasumi. "How did you two enjoy yesterday? You went on a date with Ren, correct? Sumire-san, isn't what you wanted most to see your sister truly happy again? And Kasumi-san, you wanted to be together with Ren! I gave you both what you wanted deep down. Wouldn't you like to live in a reality like that?" Maruki asked.

Sumire took a step back and stood beside Ren. "I-It's like he said. This isn't reality. If you had asked me earlier last year, I might have wanted to live in that kind of world. But Ren showed me how to stand on my own two feet! I won't run away anymore!"

Maruki sighed in disappointment. "I see. So I have your two answers. But what about you Kasumi-san?"

Kasumi seemed to be shaking in place. Ren tried to speak up. "Kasumi. It's not real! It's all just false happiness!"

Kasumi then turned around to face the two of them. "I-I'm sorry Ren, Sumire. I just… I don't wanna feel this way anymore. If he can make that go away… If he can make me feel like I did yesterday, then I want to stay in this reality."

Maruki seemed to show a weak smile as he heard Kasumi answer. "Please don't blame her. She has gone through quite a lot of heartache over the last few months." Maruki then snapped his fingers and Kasumi fell unconscious. At that moment, what appeared to be a shadow tentacle rose up and grabbed Kasumi. It pulled her back towards Maruki where he took her in his arms.

"Give her back!" Sumire yelled.

"I'm sorry Sumire-san. It's in her wishes that I don't do that. Although, I assure you she'll be safe here." Maruki answered.

Ren and Sumire then both pulled out their weapons. "Maruki…" Ren began. "I don't wanna hurt you. But if I have to, I will."

Maruki sighed once again. "I'm afraid, fighting isn't really my thing." He snapped again and a large shadow appeared.

Ren and Sumire got into their combat positions and began to send spells hurling at the shadow. After a while, they had nearly defeated it. But it soon used a healing spell that restored it's health.

"Violet? It's showtime!" Joker called out.

"Right!" Violet said as the battlefield around then shifted. It was now a church where Ren and Sumire found themselves and the bottom of a stairwell.

"Will you~?" Sumire teased as she hopped into the air as Ren shot his grappling hook up to the top and grabbed Sumire by the waist as they flew up. They began to spin around the chandelier and rained bullets down on their foe. 

"Go for it!" Ren yelled as he tossed her up into the air where she performed a graceful pose before slashing her rapier through the enemy. Joker found his way to the ground and the two shared a dance while swinging around their blades. Ending in a final Pierce by Sumire. 

"Don't forget the pose!" She said as she fell back and found herself in Ren's arms. He then launched the grappling hook again as the two found themselves back in the hall of Maruki's palace. With their foe defeated, they looked back to see that Maruki and Kasumi had disappeared.

Soon, a voice was heard over the loudspeakers.  _ "Let's meet again on the 9th. That should give you both some time to really think things over. Please visit your friends and you can see for yourselves how amazing this world has become." _

"I think we should listen to him." Ren said. "We aren't exactly in fighting form right now anyways."

"But what about Kasumi!-" Sumire began.

"I think she'll be okay. Maruki wouldn't hurt her. Let's go." Ren said as Sumire followed behind. The pair then left the palace for the time being.

**January 2nd, 20XX - Odaiba Construction Site**

"Ren?" Sumire said as she grabbed his arm.

"What is it?" He asked in a calm voice.

"We have the Nav back now right? If so… I think we should try and steal Kasumi's heart before we return." Sumire said with determination. "If her distorted desires were gone, maybe she would be more willing to accept the real reality?"

"T-that only gives us a week!" Ren blurted out. "With only two of us, there's no way we could accomplish that!"

"So we get the others! We've cleared out places in two to three days before what's stopping us from doing it again?" Sumire asked.

"But the others are still-" Ren began before Sumire cut him off.

"You broke me out. Together, we can get the rest of them. I know it. We can do anything together Ren." She kissed him on the lips which was a huge surprise for him. But it certainly wasn't unwelcome.

"Heh. You're right. If we can split it up. We could try and get them all free in just three to four days." Ren said. "Maybe I'll get the guys and you take the girls?" He tried suggesting.

"Hey that leaves me with more than you!" Sumire pouted.

"Well I did break you out already so…" He teased back. "Like you said. Together, we can do it." 

The two nodded in agreement and shared one more embrace and kiss before heading their separate ways for the night.

**January 2nd, 20XX - Yoshizawa Household**

As Sumire returned home, she noticed that her parents didn't seem to ask where Kasumi was. "Hey guys, where is Kasumi?" Sumire decided to ask out of curiosity.

"Oh don't act silly dear." Ichika answered. "You know she's off at training camp for the week."

"Training camp?" Sumire asked.

"You know, the one you decided to skip out on because you don't wanna separate yourself from Ren-kun for that long?" Ichika teased.

"M-Mom!" Sumire's face lit up as she ran upstairs to her room.

'Dr. Maruki's power really is that scary…' She thought. 'Either way, we can't lose now.'

Sumire then pulled out her phone and began a text message.

Sumire: Hey Futaba, are you free tomorrow?

Futaba: Wazzup! Yeah I'm free all day. Wanna come over to my place?

Sumire: That sounds wonderful. See you tomorrow then.

With that, Sumire put away her phone and got ready for bed. She needed a good night's sleep to prepare herself for the coming days.

**January 2nd, 20XX - Leblanc**

As Ren entered the store, he noticed that everyone seemed to be gone. He walked upstairs and was met with Morgana sitting on his couch. "You were gone all day! I was wondering what you were doing?" The ex-cat asked.

"I was in Odaiba with Kasumi." He answered.

"With Kasumi huh? I hope you aren't thinking of trying to pick her up too considering you have Sumire and all. That's not the gentleman I taught you to be!" Morgana laughed.

"D-definitely not." Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey when did we start hanging out anyways?"

Morgana gave a look of confusion. "That's an odd question. We met back at the-" He cut himself off. "It was the castle wasn't it?"

"Who's castle?" Ren pushed.

"That's-" Morgana seemed to have a growing headache. 

"Where were you before that castle?" Ren continued to try and push Morgana to see the truth.

"I was in Memen-" He grabbed his head and felt a shock of pain overcome him. 

"What are you Morgana? What were you put here to do?" Ren asked once more.

"I'm…. I'm…" His eyes then lit up as the world around him seemed to crack. "I'm the handsome rogue cat Morgana who's here to guide the trickster!" And with a blink of an eye, the man sitting on the couch was replaced with a black cat.

"Glad to have you back, partner." Ren smirked.

"What happened? I was human? Ren you have a lot of explaining to do!" Morgana barked.

"It's a long story…" Ren replied before telling Morgana about everything that's happened over the last few days.

"So Kasumi has a palace… and you and Sumire think it'll help her ditch Maruki's side if you stole her heart." Morgana tried to confirm.

"That's the gist of it." We still need to break everyone else free. I have a great idea for you though." Ren said.

"Of course! I can handle anything you guys need me to do!" Morgana tried to salute with his little cat paws before making Ren laugh.

"I think you might be able to talk Haru out of it. I'm gonna try and talk to Ryuji tomorrow, do you think you could find Haru and get her to snap out of it?" Ren asked.

"Leave it to me!" Morgana confirmed.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get some rest for now. I'm pooped after today." Ren said as he laid down and pulled the covers over him.

"Yeah… goodnight Ren." Morgana said as he curled up on Ren's lap like usual. This time however, it was just the right amount of pressure.

**January 2nd, 20XX - ???**

'Let me guess... Those two think they can just end this with another calling card and confession. What a pity. I suppose I'll just have to show him what the fate of those who play God will become myself!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Already seeing some comments about this and I realize I probably didn't specify it enough. The person speaking at the end is not Kasumi.


	31. A Tournament Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team visits Kasumi's Palace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's back! I've spent the last week mostly getting used to school and since I've had some free time I finished up the next chapter. Thank you for dealing with the somewhat long break. Also, thank you for 20,000 hits! It blows my mind how big this became and I have each and everyone reading to thank for it.

**Earlier that day… January 2nd, 20XX - Apartment Complex**

"Damn..!" Akechi sounded as he awoke. He felt a blistering headache that disappeared as soon as it began. He looked around to see not his cell, but his apartment. "Heh… hehehehe!" Akechi began to cackle. 'I'm free… but why?' 

His headache from earlier reappeared as he felt his mind race back to something. He was sitting in his cell when a warden appeared before him. He called Akechi out and led him out of the cell and the hall outside. After some brief paperwork and his belongings returned to him, he was released.

'There's no conceivable way that could happen… something is wrong.' He decided. As he stood up he felt a strange surge around him. The whole world seemed to shift in a haze. 'This feels like… the Metaverse…' 

Akechi got dressed and grabbed his briefcase. Inside was a gun that he held onto just in case his Metaverse assassinations failed. Also enclosed were his gloves or… one of them. 'That's right…' Akechi said with a small grin appearing on his face. 'I still need to  _ reclaim _ that other glove. Of course, finding out what's happening currently is more important at the moment.' He shut the case and made his way outside.

As he approached the station he noticed something. The boy with messy black hair was standing near the entrance to a train. 'It's  _ him _ … Amamiya…' He also noticed him with someone. 'He's with Yoshizawa… One of them at least.' He was too tired, and frankly, didn't care enough to tell which he was with. 'I should follow and see if they realize what's happening as well.' He thought as he entered the train a fair distance behind them.

Upon arriving in Odaiba he kept his distance as he watched them approach a large building. 'A palace… but who's?' Akechi thought. He then saw Ren take out his phone and Akechi rushed to get closer while still trying to avoid gathering their attention. He needed to enter the palace to see what they were doing. 

**January 2nd, 20XX - ??? Palace**

As they entered the palace, he stood back and saw them have a quick discussion before leaving once again. 'Now's my chance…' He thought as he ran ahead and entered the palace through the elevator.

'Disgusting…' Akechi thought as he walked around and examined the palace. 'This ruler seems quite full of himself.' As he passed through the first door, he was met by a shadow.

"I'm sorry. You don't currently have an appointment Mr. Goro Akechi. If you would kindly-" It was cut off by Akechi's blade tearing through its body. His actions alerted everyone near them and the other shadows gathered around him.

'Damn... I need to hide. If they come back I can't let them know I'm still around.' Akechi thought as he threw down one of his remaining smoke bombs. Under the cover of the smoke he climbed up the area around him to one of the many oddly shaped platforms hanging above them.

"Where did the intruder go!?" One of the shadows asked.

"We must alert the doctor quickly! It seems another group of guests have entered too." Another answered. "We must not scare them off by informing them of the other intruder. Do not tell them of Mr. Akechi's presence."

Akechi let out an internal sigh. 'It seems I'll be safe for now… I just need to see what this  _ other _ group is here for." He thought as he kept himself perched on the above platform.

Soon enough, Ren, Kasumi, and Sumire showed up in the same room. Akechi watched as they were invited into the meeting room. He followed from above as they entered the hall. Upon entry, he saw their discussion with the palace ruler begin. 'Takuto Maruki… I recall hearing about him during the school festival at Shujin last year.' He listened in as Maruki continued to speak. 'So he's the one responsible for this?' 

He then witnessed the fight break out down below. 'I know him… he won't lose to something like that. There's no need for me to step in.' His theory was correct as Ren and Sumire finished off the shadow. Once they did, they both left the palace as Akechi decided he was finished investigating as well. 

**January 2nd, 20XX - Odaiba Construction Site**

As he left, he continued to hide as he listened in on Ren and Sumire's discussion.

'So the other Yoshizawa was a palace huh..?' His train of thought ended as he heard them discuss their plans for Maruki. 

'Let me guess... Those two think they can just end this with another calling card and confession. What a pity. I suppose I'll just have to show him what the fate of those who play God will become myself!' He couldn't help but laugh after Ren and Sumire had left.

**January 5th, 20XX - Leblanc**

Ren had called a team meeting at Leblanc. Over the last couple days, due to the combined efforts of Sumire, Morgana, and him, they had managed to break everyone free of their delusions.

"Alright man… I'm so confused. Mind explainin' what's going on?" Ryuji asked once everyone had arrived.

"I'm concerned as well." Haru added. "The idea that someone brought back my father is…"

"Mom too…" Futaba nodded as she sniffled a little.

"About those… We found out who caused all this inside their palace. It was Dr. Maruki." Ren answered.

"Dr. Maruki!?" Yusuke asked in confusion.

"Why would he ever do that!? And how?" Ann asked.

"It seems, he thought he was granting our wishes." Sumire said. "He gave everyone what they wanted, deep down I guess." 

"I don't remember wishing for any of that stuff!" Ryuji barked.

"And yet… he gave it to us anyway." Makoto added.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment. They were still so unsure of the situation at hand. Ryuji was the first to speak up.

"I still can't just accept this! You said he's got a palace right? I guess that means the Phantom Thieves have one more mission left." He said.

It seemed his brief speech gathered everyone's support as they all nodded in agreement. 

"About that…" Ren began as he looked back at Sumire. She gave him a small smile and a nod. "There's actually one other palace."

"Who's?" Yusuke asked.

"My sister. Kasumi has a palace." Sumire answered.

Everyone with the exception of Ren and Morgana gasped at her reveal.

"Not only that, but Kasumi has the Nav as well. Because of that she insisted on coming with us when we entered Maruki's palace. It seemed his words worked on her, and she decided to stay in his reality. She's currently in his palace." Ren explained.

"Kasumi-chan…" Haru sighed.

"Sumire I- I think I understand how you're feeling right now…" Makoto added.

"I believe stealing her heart before we return to Maruki's palace on the ninth would help her return to us!" Sumire announced.

"Taking out one day to make and send the calling card, that only leaves us with 3 days! We'd have to get started today." Ann said.

"Right. I hope you all aren't busy today?" Ren asked as he looked around the room. He was met with blank gazes and nods as their attention turned back to him. "Alright then, you all ready?" 

"Let's go." Came from Morgana as Ren activated the nav and the group entered the palace.

**January 5th, 20XX - Kasumi's Palace**

"Woah…" Came from a couple of the thieves behind Ren and Sumire, who were leading the group.

"Dude… that stadium is huge." Ryuji gawked at the building looming over them. A large sunset found its way overhead despite it still being morning in the real world.

"Hey look at our clothes!" Ann said as she pointed towards the other members. They were all in their standard winter clothes and not in the usual Phantom Thieves attire they wore in the Metaverse.

"I suppose it makes sense she doesn't see us as threats… Ren, you and Sumire have been here before, correct?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah. Follow us, we know the way in." Ren said as he led the group over towards the VIP entrance.

"Welcome back Amamiya-sama! You're here with your fellow competitors for the games right?" The shadow at the entrance asked.

"The games? What's that thing talking about?" Futaba asked before Makoto covered her mouth.

"Y-Yes. Would you mind teaching them about the games?… They're new here and I think it would only be fair to teach them." Ren tried playing along hoping to also understand for himself what these "games" are.

"How kind of you Amamiya-sama!" The shadow said before beginning. "The games are a competition that takes place here at the stadium. Each round has a different game that the competitors will compete in. Everyone will compete in teams of two. If your team loses a game, you will be eliminated from the tournament and will no longer be allowed to compete ever again. The winner will receive the grand prize!" The shadow pointed back towards the stadium. Up at the very peak was a container that held a huge golden trophy inside.

At that moment, Morgana hopped up to Ren's level to whisper something in his ear. "That's the treasure. I can sense it all the way from here. Winning these games might be the best way to obtain it, without getting into trouble." He said.

Ren nodded as the shadow continued his explanation. "We were actually lacking competitors until you all showed up. You all will be competing, yes?" It asked.

The group all looked around at each other before silently nodding. They agreed that playing along and trying to win the game was the best course of action. "Well that's great! Please divide up into your teams of two before continuing along." He said.

"So… how do we do this? We have nine of us, so someone is gonna have to sit out." Ann said as she scratched her head.

"I would say that either Futaba or Morgana sitting out makes the most sense…" Makoto mumbled.

"Hey why me!?" Morgana barked.

"Relax kitty. I'll sit out. I'm the Navi and I've never been one for physical stuff." Futaba said.

"Alright well in that case… Hey A-" Ryuji began to ask as he approached Ann before getting cut off.

"Lady Ann! Will you be my partner?" Morgana asked in his most "trying too hard to be cute" voice.

"Uh…" Ann quickly looked around. "Yusuke! You and I'll be partners!" She said as she ran over to him.

"Very well. I can work with this." Yusuke said with a small smile.

"Damn it cat…" Ryuji whined.

"Mako-chan how about you and me be together?" Haru asked with a bright smile.

"Sure Haru! We'll show all these underclassmen how it's done." Makoto said as she cracked her knuckles, causing all the other thieves to shiver in fear.

"I guess we're gonna be partners Mona…" Ryuji sighed.

"You better not slow me down Skull!" Morgana said, causing another argument between the two.

Ren laughed as he looked back over at Sumire. "Obviously it'll be you and me, right Sumi?" Ren asked.

Sumire's face had a splash of pink before a bright smile appeared. "Of course!"

Suddenly, the shadow from earlier spoke up. "Quite a funny one Amamiya-sama!" It said as it laughed.

"I-I'm sorry, what do you mean?" Sumire asked.

"Well obviously his partner has already been decided!" The shadow answered as the last bits of its laughing fit ended.

"Already decided? What do you mean? Who's his partner?" Futaba asked.

"Well obviously Amamiya-sama will be partnered with Kasumi-sama." The shadow announced causing a silent fear to grow among the group.

"K-Kasumi?" Ren asked.

At that moment a large red carpet was rolled out from the entrance to the stadium. As the group looked down, Ren and Sumire were met with an immediate shock as they noticed the pattern on the carpet was the same pattern as the ribbon they had gifted Kasumi on Christmas. 

Then they saw  _ her _ , she was walking down the carpet towards the group. Her hair has still tied into its signature ponytail, with the end being lightly curled. She was wearing a fabulous yellow gown as she strutted down the carpet. As she approached the group, she took one look around before turning to face Ren. As she looked at him, he noticed the yellow eyes that belonged to all the other shadows he had seen. "I guess it'll be easy competition for us this year huh?" Shadow Kasumi asked. She then grabbed his hand, causing both him and Sumire to glow bright red as she said "Come on. Let's go to our VIP area." And dragged him with her. 

Before Ren left, Sumire noticed him whisper something to Morgana, who then nodded his head. Everyone else still at the entrance was astonished at what just happened.

"Ren…" Sumire began to pout.

"Sumi-chan. It's okay! We just need to win the competition and he'll return with us! You just need to remember, that isn't your sister." Haru said in an attempt to comfort her.

"Yeah!" Futaba added. "And I'll compete with you!" She said to the surprise of everyone. Futaba noticed the awkward looks and tried to explain. "W-Well if Ren can't compete with her someone has too."

Sumire giggled a little. "Thank you Futaba-chan." 

"No prob! The sister-in-law team is gonna crush the competition!" Futaba cheered.

"S-Sister-in-law!? Me and Ren aren't married yet!" Sumire stuttered in retaliation.

"Yet? So you're planning on it! I knew it!" Futaba declared earning a small laugh from everyone except Sumire.

"It's time for you all to head inside." The shadow commanded. "The signs inside will point to your waiting rooms. Inside will be a change of clothes and some other amenities. The first round will begin in a few hours."

The group nodded as they all headed off towards the stadium, and then split into their individual rooms. Before Morgana left with Ryuji, Sumire pulled him aside. "What did Ren tell you before he left?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal." Morgana answered. Sumire knew he was lying, but decided not to press any further.

After confirming everyone had entered their rooms, Morgana told Ryuji that he was going to look around for a bit. Ryuji naturally didn't care and Morgana went on his way. He used his natural tracking ability to lead him to another room. Inside was the cognitive version of Ren. He was talking to some spectators before they all left. He then turned away and noticed Morgana. "Hello Mr. Kitty, are you lost?" He asked.

'I guess Kasumi didn't know about this version of me so it makes sense her cognition of Ren doesn't either…' Morgana thought. "Sorry Ren… Mercurius!"

...

After dealing with the cognitive Ren, he then tried to track Sumire's scent. He felt a little bad having to do this, but Ren did ask him to, in order to avoid any trouble. As he followed her scent, Morgana ended up finding her in a back room behind one of the many snack bars around the stadium. She seemed to be cleaning up a mess. Based on what Morgana heard, this Sumire never even tried to compete against her sister. Morgana didn't want to speak to her however, as he felt he would hesitate. "Mercurius…" He whispered and dealt with his task.

With his job taken care of, Morgana returned to his waiting room with Ryuji and got ready.

**January 5th, 20XX - Kasumi's Palace, VIP Room**

Shadow Kasumi guided Ren by the hand into the room. Upon entry, Ren immediately noticed how nice it was. It looked like a decked out living room with a glass wall in front of them, which showed a view of the main field. After they both found their way in, Kasumi ordered the security to leave, leaving her and Ren alone in the room. He felt nervous, but he had some Goho-m's left just in case of an emergency. Kasumi made her way over to the large sofa and took a seat.

"Come on Ren~ let's relax till the next round." She said with a playful voice that still creeped Ren out. She patted the seat right next to her, but Ren decided to sit on the other side of the sofa.

"Oh no… that won't work. Come closer!" She whined. Ren was feeling increasingly creeped out by the situation. Especially after looking over to his right and seeing a bar with open bottles of wine.

"I-I think I'm good right here Kasumi." He said with a tense tone. Kasumi wasn't impressed however.

"Fine then! If that's how you're gonna be!" She stood up and stomped over to his side of the sofa. She sat beside him and then began to rest her whole body on him, leaning in from his left.

Ren immediately tried to move, but found himself unable to. 'What the hell? Why can't I move my body?' He asked himself. He then recalled something Morgana told him about a long time ago. ' _ The outfits are your image of rebellion. They allow you to move freely within palaces without falling under the rulers influence. _ ' It all made sense. 'Without our outfits… we're able to fall under the ruler's influence. Hopefully this doesn't affect the games…'

"H-Hey Kasumi?" Ren asked, causing her to look up at him. Normally he would be happy to see his friend's face, but her shadow being so close really freaked him out. "What did you mean by watching the first round? Are we not going to compete?" 

Shadow Kasumi giggled a little. "Of course not! The previous winners get to skip the first round. We just get to sit back and watch them tire themselves out." She answered.

'Great… Good luck out there guys...' Ren thought as his attention was turned to the field. It seemed the first round was beginning soon.

**January 5th, 20XX - Kasumi's Palace, Main Field**

" _ Hello ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first round of the games! Let's bring out our four teams competing in this round! On the first team, we have the robotic student council president, Makoto Niijima!" _

"Hey! What was that!?" Makoto barked at the announcer. It seemed to enjoy Makoto's anger as they continued.

" _ And alongside her is her teammate. The sadistic heiress of Okumura foods, Haru Okumura!" _

Makoto noticed Haru's growing anger at her title. "Hey don't do anything violent or you might prove it right…" She whispered. The pair then made their way to the center of the field.

_ "Next up we have the team that will be competing against them. For their first member, please welcome the airhead supermodel showoff, Ann Takamaki!" _

"I really wanna tear that thing apart…" Ann whined as she made her way over.

_ "Fighting alongside her is the eccentric artist who just can't seem to draw up a normal conversation, Yusuke Kitagawa!" _

Yusuke seemingly tried to ignore his title as he made his way to join Ann in the center of the field.

_ "Those two teams will be up against each other in the first round, but what about the other pair of teams you may ask? They'll be competing against each other too! Let's bring them out! First up is the blonde gorilla of the Shujin jungle, Ryuji Sakamoto!" _

"Man… why can't we just tear up shadows like we usually do to get through these things…" Ryuji sighed as he made his way over.

_ "And teaming up with him is the worthless house-cat of Leblanc, Morgana!" _

"If you really think I'm gonna be the worthless one on our team, you've got another thing coming." Morgana said as he scurried over to Ryuji.

_ "And onto our last team. Starting off with the anti-social eternal neet, Futaba Sakura!" _

"Hey! Just because it's true doesn't mean you gotta say it! And I'm planning on going to school this year so take that stupid announcer!" Futaba shouted as she nervously made her way to the middle.

_ "And finally, the crybaby princess dressed in cinders, Sumire Yoshizawa!" _

Sumire stayed quiet as she approached the center and stood next to Futaba.

_ "That's all for everyone competing in the first round! Will the pairs of competing teams please line up behind the yellow lines?" _

Each group saw their names written on yellow lines on the grass. Makoto and Haru were right beside Ann and Yusuke. While Ryuji and Morgana were right next to Sumire and Futaba.

_ "For the first round… we'll be having a swimming competition!" _

"Swimming?" Sumire asked.

"But where? There are no pools here?" Yusuke questioned as well.

Just then the announcer pressed a button on their remote which caused a shake in the ground. The grass in front of the groups began to lower before sliding into small slits located on each side. After it had moved in, the sound splashing water rose from the gap that was left. Soon, the gap was filled with water as dividers fell from the sky dividing each pool into two halves.

_ "Each team will have one member in the pool at a time. The swimming player will swim all the way to the other side and back. Once they return, they climb out and tag in the other player, who will then do the same thing. Each tag counts as one point. The first team out of each pair of groups to reach ten points will win this round and move on! You have two minutes to prepare." _

"Sumire! I don't know what to do! I'm not that great at swimming!" Futaba cried.

"R-Relax Futaba-chan. I'll go first and just try to follow my lead!" Sumire said reassuringly.

"You'll be the hard carry? Got it!" Futaba said with a thumbs up.

'I have no idea what she's talking about…' Sumire sighed as she turned back to face the water.

"They expect me to swim well!? Have they seen what I look like?" Morgana complained.

"I don't think they care… Just try and do your best. I don't think it matters who wins anyways, we all just wanna grab the treasure and book it." Ryuji sighed.

"Feeling confident, Mako-chan?" Haru asked innocently.

"Definitely! I've spent some time swimming before so I'm confident we can win. What about you Haru?" Makoto asked.

"I think it will be fun! Let's do our best!" Haru cheered.

"Ann! Would you mind if I used the mental image of you swimming as a model for my next piece?" Yusuke asked.

"Come on Yusuke get your head in the game! If we win you can draw whatever you want. S-So long as it's not weird or anything!" Ann answered.

"Very well. I will do my best to ensure our victory." Yusuke said as he rolled back his shoulders.

Sumire tried to look around for Ren one last time before they began. She still hadn't seen him since he was pulled away by Shadow Kasumi, and she was getting more worried by the second.

Ren noticed his girlfriend looking around. He knew what she was looking for, but he still struggled to move. 'Come on…' He began to try and pull with all his might. 'I'm Joker. Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. I've tackled worse than this and there's still more to come…' He continued to try and push through the invisible chains he felt around his body. 'I need to show her… that we're both strong enough!' He thought as he finally managed to stand. Ren dashed over to the window and began to jump up and wave to grab her attention.

Sumire continued to scout the area before she noticed something. 'There!' She thought as she saw Ren hop up and down. She couldn't help but smile after seeing his support. 'I need to do this. For me, for him, and for Kasumi.' She had made up her mind.

_ "That's all for your preparations! Line up behind the line!" _

Everyone took to their stand. Sumire, Ryuji, Makoto, and Ann were the first swimmers for their respective groups. They all looked at each other and gave a silent nod. Even if they were competing, they were all in this together.

_ "On your mark…" _

_ "Get set…" _

_ "Go!" _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have a very different take on a palace for Kasumi's. I imagine it somewhat like Sae's but with the "game" aspect turned up to 11. Also, the mean joke titles are a reference to the similar titles given to the characters in the Persona 4 Arena games. Can I just say I really want Persona 5 Arena? Anyways, thank you for reading!


End file.
